​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Sunday, 21 May 2017), at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks:
 
"US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will arrive tomorrow on an historic visit to the State of Israel. Senior administration and White House officials will arrive together with them. This is President Trump's first visit outside the US, and the honor is ours that he has chosen to come to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and – of course – to the State of Israel.
 
I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US. We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace.
 
Mr. President, we look forward to your visit. The citizens of Israel will receive you with open arms.
 
I would also like to comment on events that took place over the weekend. Again there was an assault, in this case on IDF GOC Personnel, by an extremist faction that does not represent the ultra-orthodox public, but I view these assaults with utmost severity. The State of Israel, the IDF, are the only thing that separates between the fate of our people in the past and the future that is assured to us today. The IDF protects all citizens of Israel, including this small and extremist faction that denies the State of Israel and the people's army, and which does not represent the ultra-orthodox public. I expect all public leaders to condemn these phenomena and this incitement."