Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin NetanyahuYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu publicized the following article Saturday night in response to a meeting organized by the Palestinian Authority’s United Nations delegation in the UN Security Council.

The meeting included representatives of the radical left-wing Israeli NGO B’Tselem.

Below are the Prime Minister's words in full:

During a meeting held yesterday in the United Nations Security Council, the ‘B’Tselem’ and ‘American Friends of Peace Now’ organizations joined in the chorus of slander against Israel, recycling the false claim that it is “the occupation and the settlements’ that are the cause of the conflict.

The truth is that the Palestinians attacked Israel for 50 years before there was even one settlement. They continue to attack Israel from the Gaza Strip even after we completely withdrew from [Gaza]. They are attacking us from Judea and Samaria while they not only demand those territories, but also the right of return to Jaffa, Acre [Akko], and Haifa. They back up these demands with murderous attacks directed against us since the establishment of the state.

These facts prove that the root of the conflict is not “the occupation and the settlements,” but the continuing refusal of the Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state in any borders.

The chief of ‘B’Tselem’ yesterday urged the Security Council to take action against Israel. What these organizations fail to achieve in democratic elections in Israel, they are now trying to achieve by international force. That is unacceptable.

In Israeli democracy, even delusional little groups like ‘B’Tselem’ find expression. But the majority of the population knows the truth. We will continue to work on behalf of justice and to protect our state against international pressure.