Bibi Netanyahu: “We Believe in this Alliance Between Israel and India.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Thursday, 28 June 2018), at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, met with the Chief Minister of the Indian State of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, and welcomed him to Israel, his first visit outside India since taking up office. The Prime Minister conveyed greetings to his friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two discussed the continued strengthening of relations between the two countries. Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani expressed great interest in Israeli water, agriculture and cyber technologies.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “We believe in this alliance between Israel and India, and it was tremendously enhanced by Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel. I was pleased to be in Gujarat, and now I’m pleased that Gujarat is in Israel.”

 

Israel and Latin America: Continuing Their Growing Partnership

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with a delegation of chairpersons of foreign affairs committees of Latin American parliaments and noted he is due to fly to Guatemala this November for a regional meeting. This meeting continues the growing partnerships Israel has in Latin America.  Evidence of this was on full display as Guatemala and Paraguay both moved their embassies to Jerusalem after the USA became the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Will Latin America Be Israel’s New Africa?

With the large amount of believing Christians in Latin America, most being pro-Israel, there is clear evidence that the same sort of synergy that catipulted Israel and Sub-Saharan African relationships exists in there as well.  Israel’s growing partnerships with a variety of countries in Latin America provide it with new markets and partners who are hungry for Israeli know-how and technological innovation.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said the following to the delegation:

“You’re very welcome here. Our relations with the countries of Latin America are obviously changing very rapidly for the better. I’m very proud of the fact that I was the first Israeli prime minister to visit any country south of Texas.

I had an opportunity to go first to Argentina, then to Colombia, then to Mexico. And I intend to have another meeting in November, September. We’re going to Guatemala for a regional meeting, so I’ll have the opportunity to meet the leaders of all your countries.

You’re all parliamentarians, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re all ambassadors. Now you’re ambassadors of Israel and of the truth. Please convey to your fellow citizens, this is very important, for us and people who know Israel as it is.

Here’s something about Israel. You’re sitting now in the seat of the Israeli government. It’s here in Jerusalem. Right next to us, is the Knesset, our parliament. It’s in Jerusalem. Right next to that is the Supreme Court. It’s in Jerusalem. The President’s house is in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. We are very …And it will always be the capital of Israel. It’s been the capital of Israel for three thousand years. This is a description of our government under King Solomon, the son of King David, three thousand years ago. Jerusalem has been our capital for three thousand years and it will be our capital.

I’m very glad that Guatemala has moved its embassy. I’m very glad that Paraguay has moved its embassy. And I ask you, as well as being Israel’s ambassadors, to ask your governments to move their embassies to Jerusalem. So we can say, ‘Next year in Jerusalem’.”



BIBI NETANYAHU: “It is Iran that is Responsible”

As calm began to return to the Gaza belt communities, Prime Minister Netanyahu touched on the IDF’s response the attacks by Hamas.

“Since yesterday the IDF has strongly retaliated against the firing from the Gaza Strip and has hit dozens of terrorist targets in the severest blow we have landed on them in years,” the Prime Minister Netanyahu stated at a ceremony for the victims of the Atalena.

“The Hamas regime, Islamic Jihad and the other terrorist organizations, inspired by Iran, that are responsible for the escalation. I will not detail our plans because I do not want the enemy to know what to expect. But one thing is clear: When they test us, they pay immediately. And if they continue testing us, they will pay dearly.”

“I salute the fighters of the IDF and the security forces and I commend the resilience of the residents of the south.”

As of tonight, the IDF’s strategy of hitting hard and early to prevent a cascading conflict appears to be working as Hamas has stopped firing rockets. Given the fluid situation anything is possible, but it appears that Hamas is rethinking its offensive.



NETANYAHU TO HAMAS: “The IDF will respond with great force to these attacks.”

While speaking at the 9th Annual Galilee Conference, Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the attacks on Israel by Hamas as well as the Syria situation.  The attacks saw countless mortars fired at Israel, with one landing next to a kindergarden.




Netanyahu said the following on the situation:

“Israel views with utmost gravity the attacks against it and its communities by Hamas and Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip.

The IDF will respond with great force to these attacks. Israel will exact a heavy price from anyone who tries to attack it, and we view Hamas as responsible for preventing such attacks against us.

Regarding Syria, I have made clear our red lines many times, and we will enforce them without compromise. We will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria and operate against us from there, and also not to transfer dangerous weapons from Syria to Lebanon, or to produce them in Lebanon.

I would like to reiterate: We are acting against an Iranian military presence anywhere on Syrian territory. An Iranian departure from southern Syria alone will not suffice. The long-range missiles that Iran is working to station in Syria will endanger us even beyond the range of several kilometers from southern Syria; therefore, Iran needs to leave Syria altogether. We are not party to understandings to the effect that we have agreed to less than this.

In any case, we will always act according to our security interests, with or without understandings. We will defend ourselves by ourselves, unified, united, and determined to ensure our security and our future.”



Meanwhile, Israel’s Airforce has struck targets in central Gaza in response to the mortar fire.