(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Iran's nuclear deal:
"Israel will continue to monitor the implementation of the agreement and will warn about any violation.
Even after the signing of the nuclear agreement, Iran has not relinquished its aspiration to obtain nuclear weapons and it will continue to undermine stability in the Middle East and spread terrorism around the world while violating its international obligations.
The major powers and the IAEA must closely monitor activity at Iran's nuclear installations and other sites in order to verify that it is not continuing to develop nuclear weapons in secret. Unless there is an appropriate response to each violation, Iran will understand that it can continue to develop nuclear weapons, undermine regional stability and spread terrorism.
Israel will continue to monitor the situation and warn about Iran's negative activity, and will do everything necessary to safeguard its security and defend itself."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sweden's hypocrisy:
"Regarding the double standard that is applied to us. You will recall that the Swedish Foreign Minister said that the actions of the security forces in Israel, as well as those of citizens, to prevent their being murdered by people with knives are executions and must be investigated in accordance with international law. I would like to ask her if what occurred in Sweden last October in which a man with, not a knife, but a long sword, killed three people and was killed by Swedish forces, if she proposes that this incident also be investigated in accordance with international law as an execution?
It is absolutely clear that there is an absurdity and a total distortion here and that we attack this and reject it outright. I hope that this spirit will not continue in the EU foreign ministers' discussions next week. The double standard, distortion, attacks and bias against Israel will not help the EU to be a partner in discussions on the Middle East; but, even more, this is simply inappropriate and unjust and we will not accept it."