​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Saturday, 3 June 2017), made the following remarks upon taking off for Liberia where he will attend the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conference:
 
"I am leaving now for a conference of west African countries. This is the first time they have invited the leader of a non-African country to address them; I very much appreciate it. Israel is returning to Africa in a big way. As a result of my visit to east Africa we are now going to west Africa and my goal is to erode this majority, this great blocking majority of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the UN and other international bodies. I think that it is to Israel's credit how they esteem us. This is a long journey but we are surely making it step by step.
 
We have also been notified of other important news. Some time ago I contacted the Norwegian government and told it to stop funding a Palestinian body that glorifies Palestinian terrorists and it has done so. I appreciate this.
 
I also contacted the Danish Prime Minister and spoke with him at length. As a result of this conversation, the Danish Ambassador in Israel has announced that Denmark is also withdrawing its financing from this body. The UN has done so as well. Here also we are on a journey and here also we are surely moving forward.