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Education Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Naftali Bennett addressed the annual Herzliya Conference on Sunday, 20 Sivan.

Bennett’s primary message is to boycott those who call to boycott Israel, citing the latest incident when the CEO of Orange told his Egyptian audience that he would break the arrangement with Israel as soon as possible. Bennett explains the reaction was an outcry in Israel, with many subscribers to the phone service calling to cancel – moving to another company until Orange retracted the statement.

Bennett stresses the day in which one can call to boycott Israel without ramification is over.

Bennett then changed to English and explained “we will hit back – we will attack our attackers”, sending a clear message that Israel is not going to remain dormant as enemies seek to bring her to her knees with economic boycotts. “We will boycott the boycotters. It is a double edge sword”, emphasizing there are tens of millions of people around the world who will boycott those who wish to boycott Israel. “We will no longer remains silent”.

Bennett also used the forum to call on the international community to recognize the Golan Heights as part of the State of Israel. The Golan was liberated from Syrian occupation in the June 1967 Six Day War and annexed as an integral portion of Israel in 1981. Nevertheless the international community views the Golan as “Israeli occupied”.

Bennett stated “I want to give the international community an opportunity to demonstrate their ethics. Recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)