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(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks, today (Wednesday, 6 June 2018), at the start of his meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May:
 
"Prime Minister May, it’s always a delight to visit with you and speak with you about issues of common concern. I have to say that our relationship in this year, the 70th year of Israel’s birth, is excellent. We cooperate in great ways – in intelligence, in security, in technology, in trade, in many, many other areas. And I think our relationship is going from strength to strength.
 
Today I wish to focus on two issues, two goals that we share. The first is how to make sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons. And the second is how to roll back Iran’s aggression in the region, and specifically in Syria. And I think we can find ways to work together to achieve both goals.
 
As far as Gaza is concerned, I think the problems there are rooted in the fundamental goal of Hamas to destroy Israel. We’re not witnessing peaceful protests. In addition to burning our fields, these people are being paid for and pushed by Hamas to try to break into Israel’s defenses, kill as many Israelis as they can, right next to our border, and kidnap our soldiers.
 
This is not a non-violent protest; quite the contrary. We are doing everything we can to both minimize casualties, and at the same time protect Israeli lives. I think you recognize this. It’s a new technique, it’s a tactic of terrorists who attack civilian targets and hide behind civilians, or in this case use civilians as human shields. I think we should condemn it, and discuss ways how we can prevent this.
 
It’s also true that the reason Gaza is in an economic and humanitarian crisis is because: One, Hamas diverts an enormous amount of resources from civilian needs to terror tunnels and other weapons of war; and secondly, the other part of Palestinian society, the Palestinian Authority has cut back the money – a combination of choking Gaza financially from one Palestinian side and diverting resources for terrorism on the other side has created an economic crisis.
 
I’d like to talk to you about that as well. And I know that when I do so, I’m talking to another democracy that is often challenged and often has to face these kinds of terrorist provocations.