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During a meeting in Israel on Tuesday, 13 Tammuz between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentilloni, Mr. Netanyahu spoke about recent escalation in terrorism, stating those responsible will be brought to justice. Following is an excerpt from the prime minister’s remarks at the start of their meeting.

“I would like to send my best wishes for a rapid and full recovery to the Israeli citizens who were wounded last night in the terrorist attack near Shilo and to the soldier who was stabbed near Rachel’s Tomb. Attempts to attack us do not halt even for a moment. The ISA and IDF have foiled dozens of terrorist attacks since the start of the year and over 200 since the start of 2014. We are determined to take strong action and deal with the terrorists to the fullest extent of the law. The fact that up until now, the Palestinian Authority has not condemned these attacks needs to bother not only us, but also the international community as a whole. Those who do not take an unequivocal stand against terrorism cannot wash their hands”.

The prime minister also used the media forum to deliver another message about the natural gas controversy taking place among lawmakers.

“Today, after years of discussions, we will present the outline that we formulated on extracting gas from the sea. It will be presented to all Israeli citizens, before the entire nation. This outline breaks up the gas monopoly and will put hundreds of billions of shekels into the treasury for Israeli citizens’ social welfare, health, education and many other needs. Populism is surging around us. Nobody has really examined this outline and now it will be possible to do so. I have never given in to populism. I have enacted many reforms that saved the Israeli economy in the face of strong opposition and today, with the perspective of 10-15 years, it is possible to judge how the Israeli economy has jumped forward while other economies that have not enacted these reforms and did not act as we did, and capitulated to populism – how they have been shaken, some to the point of collapse. I can also say that for some of them the gas has remained underground. This cannot be allowed to happen here. I trust in the common sense of Israel’s citizens and I expect the public’s representatives to act responsibly. We will do our utmost so that the gas is extracted from the sea”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)