​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Following are excerpts from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech today (Tuesday, 8 November), at the railway station in Afula, at the dedication of the Haifa-Beit She'an railway line:
 
"This is a good day, for reasons related to this place and to other places as well. First, I want to talk about the other places. Today, we blocked an attempt by the Palestinians to join INTERPOL as a member. It was a difficult effort, but it produced results. It reflects what I have been telling you is happening, which is a change in Israel's international standing and an expansion of our ties with different countries.
 
This is the result of very intensive work by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council. I thank them and appreciate their work. I think we have to accept the fact that this effort to ensure that international organizations take into account our interests, and those of many other countries, will continue. There will be other attempts now, especially at the Security Council, and I hope we can block them. But I have no doubt about the general, long-term trend – Israel is bursting onto the global scene, and this will ultimately be reflected in all UN and international bodies.
 
So we have a past, we have a vibrant present and we will also have a future. I have looked at the Jordan bridges, the Yarmouk bridges, and I believe some day this train will be a peace train. I know that is not what they're saying around us today. But we have a peace agreement with the Kingdom of Jordan, and these goods, which already pass from the port of Haifa to Beit-She'an, can easily reach the Jordan bridges, be connected to transportation arteries, including trains, and create a new future. It will not happen in a day or two, but it could take a year, two years or a little longer. I believe it. I believe it can give us hope, it can give us the fruits of peace, not only for us but for our neighbors as well."