(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday afternoon (Friday, 28 September 2018; Eastern Daylight Time), in New York City, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, met with US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, and told her at the start of the meeting:
 
"I am speaking as a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, and I have the podium each year, so each year I come and say what I have to say about the UN. But I said yesterday that the hall still permeates with the stench of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic resolutions, which are the same. And I want to thank you for clearing the air out of that hall.
 
You've been doing, with President Trump and your activities, you've been doing wonderful things – I mean UNESCO, on UNRWA, on anti-Israel resolutions, on resolutions condemning Hamas, can you imagine that?
 
You obviously have both the energy and the motivation and the spirit and I want to thank you. You can see how appreciative the people of Israel are and the many friends of Israel are around the world, we appreciate and I want to thank you.
 
I think for many people, the story of Israel is a parable. It's a courageous democracy, that is fighting against forces that threaten our civilization, our freedom, our values and a lot of people see through it but in the UN somebody has to say it and you've been saying it so I want to thank you."