​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Advisor)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will, this morning (Tuesday, 6 September 2016), leave on a diplomatic visit to The Hague, Netherlands.
 
Before boarding the plane, Prime Minister Netanyahu said:
 
I am now leaving on a diplomatic visit to the Netherlands. I will meet there with Israel's friend, and my personal friend, Prime Minister Mark Rutte, with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch parliament and with King Willem-Alexander.
 
Europe as a whole is undergoing changes. It faces very great challenges over the spread of radical Islamic terrorism. I am going to speak with my interlocutors about the central role of Israel in the Middle East as the most stable element and one that contributes greatly to preventing the spread of radical Islamic terrorism. This is a new understanding; it is important, of course, for Israel and the states of the region but it is also very important for Europe. It is this understanding that we are working to instill gradually in all European countries."
 
During their meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will discuss the deepening of bilateral relations between Israel and the Netherlands and regional issues.
 
The Prime Minister’s meeting with King Willem-Alexander at the Noordeinde Palace will be the first meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and King Willem-Alexander, who succeeded to the throne on 30 April 2013.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu will also visit the Dutch States General (parliament) and meet with Senate President Ankie Broekers-Knol and House of Representatives Speaker Khadija Arib. The Prime Minister will meet with members of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and discuss with them Israel-Netherlands relations and present Israel's policy in the regional context and vis-à-vis Europe.