(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon (Thursday, 20 May 2021), at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, met with Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek and Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok.
Prime Minister Netanyahu showed to the foreign ministers a wing from an Iranian UAV that was identified and downed in the Beit Shean area two days ago and noted: "The support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad comes from Iran. If you take away Iranian support, both of them would collapse in two weeks. Iran not only supports these various terrorist proxies, it actually engages itself in armed attacks against Israel. And here's proof."
Prime Minister Netanyahu at the start of his meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Kulhanek:
Netanyahu: Well, I want to welcome you. The Czech Republic has been supportive and friendly. We have no better friends in Europe and we appreciate the support, the expression of support, the flying of the Israeli flag over a government building, positions that are expressed by both President Zeman and Prime Minister Babiš and so many of the Czech people. We're very, very grateful. Thank you."
Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out the special solidarity between the Czech people and the Jewish people including at their common historic junctions.
At his meeting with Slovak Foreign Minister Korcok, Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked him for the solidarity expressed by the Slovak government and noted that Israel appreciates this very much.
Slovak Foreign Minister Korcok told the Prime Minister that a friend in one's hour of need is a friend indeed and that this is how Slovakia sees it. He added that he does not see that Israel has any choice but to defend its citizens against Hamas.
In showing the foreign ministers the aforesaid Iranian drone, Prime Minister Netanyahu noted: "There is a patron of all this terrorism that supports Hamas, supports Islamic Jihad in Gaza, supports Hezbollah and seeks to attack Israel and that is Iran."