Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently warned that if Israel doesn’t close off its eastern border, it will not remain a Jewish state, Kan News reported.

According to the report, Netanyahu said in a recent closed Cabinet meeting that Israel is one of the few countries in the world that has almost complete control over its borders. However, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel has one border that is not properly secured and that is its eastern border [with Jordan].

“If we don’t close the eastern border, there won’t be a Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. “The current refugee flow from Africa and Islamic countries is affecting all countries.”

He cited Cyprus as an example, where 6-7% of the population is now Muslim. “We could have been in a similar situation to them if we hadn’t decided to close our southern border against all infiltrators as well as our northern border.”

“Since Israel has all the elements to be a country that is attractive to infiltrators, and it is close and accessible, and the eastern border is very long and less secure, it may become the next entry point for infiltrators who have no choice because the situation in Africa is deteriorating, hunger is worsening, wars are intensifying, and people will be forced to move,” Netanyahu warned.

In addition to the issue of illegal infiltrators, Israel has thwarted several arms smuggling operations across the Jordanian border in recent months, and the Israeli-Jordanian border is in general a hotbed of arms and drugs smuggling attempts. In August, the IDF thwarted an attempt to smuggle Iranian-manufactured explosives into Israel across the Jordanian border.

Netanyahu has spoken about the idea of building a fence along Israel’s border with Jordan multiple times in recent months and years and emphasized it after the violent clashes between groups of Eritrean migrants in Tel Aviv earlier this month.

On September 3rd, Netanyahu wrote on Twitter: “We erected a barrier along our southern border (with Egypt) and successfully prevented infiltration into Israel. This barrier has stopped over a million infiltrators from Africa, which would have destroyed our country.”

“Now we will build a fence on our eastern border (Jordan) and ensure that there will be no infiltration from there either. We will protect our borders – we will protect our country!”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)