Binyamin Netanyahu attends Likud faction meeting
Binyamin Netanyahu attends Likud faction meetingMiriam Alster/Flash90

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday began the weekly Knesset session by welcoming MK Eli Cohen (Likud) and MK Ayoob Kara (Likud).

"I would like to greet our friends Ayoob Kara and Eli Cohen, who have recently joined the government," Netanyahu said. "I am sure that together with the other government officials, you will work for the sake of Israel and its citizens.

"We are now celebrating 25 years of relations with China and India. Today we will hear an overview of how we can advance these relationships, which are prospering in an amazing way. The fact that Israel has such strong relations with two of the greatest countries in the world is testimony to Israel's international standing, which continues to improve."

The American Interest magazine recently ranked Israel at number eight among the world's eight "Great Powers," ranking it one place below Iran.

"India, China, and Russia all want a piece of Israeli tech wizardry," the magazine wrote, predicting that Israel would be "the keystone of a regional anti-Iran alliance, a most-favored-nation in the White House, and a country that enjoys good relations with all of the world’s major powers bar Iran."

The "Great Powers" list included, in order, the US, China and Japan tied at number two, Russia, Germany, India, Iran, and Israel.