Foreign Ministry Director-General Aharon Abramovich "rejects out of hand" comments by United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes characterizing Israeli counter-terrorism measures as part of a "vicious circle of violence." 
"Expressions such as these creates an analogy between the terrorists and those who are defending themselves against terror." 
Speaking during a visit to the rocket-battered city of Sderot in the Negev on Sunday, Holmes said, "There is no time to lose in putting an end to this vicious circle of violence. More violence will not bring peace to the people of Sderot."
Responding to the UN official's statements, Director-General Abramovich said, "The use of expressions such as these creates an analogy between the terrorists and those who are defending themselves against terror." He further emphasized that Mr. Holmes' remarks do not serve the interests of peace, as they may unwittingly encourage terrorists to believe that the international community will exert pressure on Israel, instead of dealing with the roots of the violence.
The people of Sderot have expressed a different opinion than Holmes regarding what will bring peace to their city. In a series of rolling protests, they have been calling for more effective military operations against the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, the source of ongoing attacks on the Negev community.
During a meeting between Abramovich and Holmes in Jerusalem on Monday, the Foreign Ministry Director-General clarified that PA terrorism targeting Israeli civilians is "characterized by constant, indiscriminate firing of Kassam rockets and mortars at Sderot and communities in the western Negev, smuggling of arms, ammunition, and terrorists into the Gaza Strip, and the unceasing efforts by terrorist organizations to carry out attacks against Israel."
Abramovich added that he expects "the UN and the democratic countries, some of which face similar challenges from extremist elements, to support Israel in its struggle against terrorism and against organizations that deny its right to exist."
Despite the justified criticism of Holmes, the Foreign Ministry statement emphasized, "Israel will continue to cooperate with UN agencies operating in the region, in accordance with policy determined by the Israeli government."
Holmes arrived in Israel on Thursday for a five-day visit to Jerusalem, Gaza, Judea, Samaria and Sderot. On Monday, he rejected the Foreign Ministry criticism of his statements: "It would be very hard to construe from what I said anything that would be encouraging terrorism."
According to Holmes, Israel's partial economic disengagement from Gaza amounts to a measure that "collectively penalizes" Gaza Arabs for attacks by PA terrorists. Most of the rocket-launching attackers are part of the Hamas terrorist organization, which took power in an election landslide in 2006.