The Arrival of the Pope and the Terror Attack in Brussels
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The Arrival of the Pope, Terror Attack in Brussels

  • 5/25/2014
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    (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
     
    Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 25 May) on the arrival of Pope Francis to Israel and the terrorist attack in Belgium:
     
    "We welcome the arrival of Pope Francis to the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. His visit here is an opportunity to show the world the true Israel, the advanced, modern and tolerant Israel, in effect, the only country in the Middle East that ensures complete freedom of worship to those of all faiths, guards the holy places and ensures the rights of all – Jews, Muslims, Christians, everybody.

     
    We appreciate the Pope's strong stand against antisemitism, especially in light of the surging Jew hatred that we have witnessed in recent days. Last night's murder in Brussels is the result of constant incitement against the State of Israel by various elements in the Middle East and in Europe itself. There are elements in Europe that rush to condemn the construction of a flat in Jerusalem but do not rush to condemn – or offer only weak condemnations of – the murder of Jews here or in Europe itself and, even worse, welcome unity with a terrorist element such as Hamas, which calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. We oppose such hypocrisy, we protest against it, we will continue to always state the truth, we will continue to fight terrorism and we will continue to build up our state.”