Netanyahu: Iran/Hezbollah 'battered' as EU slams Jerusalem Palm Sunday ban
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israel's IDF Northern Command on Sunday, declaring that Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas are now 'battered enemies' after Israel's multi-arena campaign. Netanyahu, alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz, said the 'immense force' applied has created 'visible cracks' in Tehran's regime and eliminated the threat of 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel. He confirmed the 2024 killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of fighters, though noting Hezbollah retains 'residual capability to launch rockets.'
Separately, Israeli news platform N12 reported the government plans to invite the U.S. to relocate some Middle East military bases to Israel and build new ones post-war. This follows months of expanded Israeli strikes across the region.
However, European leaders strongly criticized Israel for blocking Christian Palm Sunday observances in Jerusalem. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the action at Jerusalem's Holy Places as 'without any explanation,' calling it an 'unjustified attack on religious freedom.' Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney faulted the blocking of Jerusalem's Latin patriarch from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, saying it violates the 'longstanding status quo' and that all faiths must worship freely.
Nigeria, with its large Christian population and diplomatic ties to both Israel and European partners, faces a complex position. The government must balance strategic security cooperation with Israel against advocacy for religious freedom in contested holy sites—a longstanding foreign policy challenge.
Should Nigeria publicly align with European criticism to uphold religious freedom principles, or prioritize strategic and security partnerships with Israel amid regional instability? How should Nigeria navigate its diplomatic relationships when core values like religious access appear compromised?
SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/03/29/netanyahu-defends-israeli-attacks-against-iran-hamas-hezbollah/