(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Wednesday, 18 November 2015), attended the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem. At the start of the event, he met with French Ambassador Patrick Maisonnave, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, and said:
 
"In Jerusalem today we stand with the people of Paris. The people of Israel stand with the people of France. Ambassador, this is not a figurative stance, it's not just lip service. First of all, we stand and we do not fall. Even though, our numbers may be occasionally decimated by the barbarians, our countries are strong and we stand.
 
We also stand proud. We're proud of our values, proud of our societies, proud of our freedoms. And we stand shoulder to shoulder, committed to defend our common civilization.
 
It’s difficult for civilized men and women to recognize that our cities, our airways, sometimes our waterways are prowled by beasts that devour the innocent in their way. And the forces of civilization, when they realize the severity of this problem, have no option but to unite very clearly and defeat these beasts.
 
The beasts increasingly have a name - it is radical Islam. That is what is doing the killing, the murder, the rape, the burning, the beheadings. We must stand together and fight together militant Islam. The people of Israel grieve with you, the people of Israel stand with you. Now and always."
 
The conference began with a moment of silence in memory of those who were murdered in Paris.