PM Netanyahu
PM NetanyahuKobi Richter / TPS

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu listed Israel's foreign relations accomplishments and blasted the press for ignoring them, at Monday's Likud faction meeting.

Israel's foreign relations "are flourishing and have hit an unprecedented... all time record," he said.

"Later this week, the leaders of Greece and Cyprus will come here for our annual summit. And at my request, this time it will take place in Be'er Sheva – at the Cyber Center.

"We will discuss cooperation in cyber defense, and something else: We will also discuss the laying of a gas pipeline from Israel through Cyprus, Greece, Italy [to] Europe. This will turn Israel into an energy power... even at the global level."

The pipeline will be "the longest in the world," said the PM, and while "it is still not clear if we will succeed," initial feasibility studies are positive.

"I promise you one thing," Netanyahu added. "My estimate is that you will not hear a word about it in the press. Now, how do I know this? Because I attended some other summits and you never heard a word about it in the media."

Netanyahu then listed the summits he recently attended which were ignored by the press: the Baltic Countries' Summit, the Balkan Countries' Summit, and the Central European Countries' Summit.

He noted that he would soon be visiting Brazil, which has almost 250 million citizens and a new leader who is about to carry out an about-face in his nation's relations with Israel – "including in the matter of Jerusalem." There are 300 visits by foreign dignitaries every year, he said – yet no one hears about them in the press.

Japan's investments in Israel are now 44 times higher than they were a few years ago, Netanyahu told his audience.

He then moved on to Guatemala, which experienced a volcanic disaster and Israel sent aid delegations to help them with medicines, water purification, and the rebuilding of a village that was destroyed. Guatemala decided to name a street in the village after Jerusalem, in gratitude. According to Netanyahu, the Israeli press ignored the delegation to Guatemala because it was headed by his wife, Sara.

He summed up by declaring: "First of all, we need to understand that we have tremendous accomplishments in the world – including the Arab world… Secondly, the press ignores us. Thirdly – we ignore the press."