Itongadol.- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the opening of the Knesset\’s winter session on Monday, saying that Israel\’s soldiers had prevented a multi-pronged attack against Israel during Operation Protective Edge.
He touted Israel\’s success in destroying Hamas terror infrastructure during the 50-day conflict and thanked the IDF soldiers for therir sacrifices during the conflict.
"Last time I stood here it was before Protective Edge, an operation against a criminal terrorist attack," Netanyahu stated.
"Hamas shot thousands of rockets at Israel\’s cities, planned attacks from the air and underground. We stopped most of them. We killed hundreds of terrorists and collapsed the towers of terror," he added.
"We did not give into the dictates of Hamas that would have endangered Israel," the prime minister said.
"The Palestinians are demanding a state without peace and without security – they want 1967 borders and the right of return. They won\’t take the basic step in making peace – mutual recognition. They demand we recognize them but they won\’t recognize us," Netanyahu charged.
"Israel won\’t agree to a Palestinian state without a real peace treaty that will recognize Israel as nation of Jewish people and include security arrangements," the prime minister vowed.
What\’s the point of drawing a border if you don\’t know what state you\’ll have on the other side of it? Netanyahu asked,saying that Israel was in danger of having a state run by ISIS (Islamic State) on its borders.
Every inch of territory that we have evacuated has been taken over by extremists, Netanyahu said.
"We don\’t want a binational state, but we also don\’t want another Iranian satellite on our borders," he said.
Peace cannot be built on lies and illusions, Netanyahu said.
He rejected claims that Israel was attempting to change the status quo at the Temple Mount and said that Israel has the right to build in Jerusalem.