Israeli PM calls on Europe to support his war on ‘terrorism’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on European leaders to support his fight against “terrorism”, hinting to Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation.

As he met with envoys of a French Jewish community in Paris on Monday, Netanyahu spoke out against Palestinian factions and used the meeting to mobilise world support for his war against them.

Netanyahu was attending a rally condemning last week’s horrific attacks that left 17 French people dead, including four Jews and at least two Muslims. He appeared alongside French President François Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

“There is great significance to what the world saw; the Israeli prime minister walking with world leaders in a united effort against terrorism, or at least the call to unite,” Netanyahu told French Jewish leaders at the Royal Monceau hotel.

“I expect all of the leaders with whom we marched yesterday [Sunday] to fight terrorism wherever it may be, even when it is directed against Israel and the Jews,” he added.

Netanyahu, who is seeking re-election in a vote on 17 March, has made the attack on Islam a main theme of his Likud Party’s campaign.

While in Paris, he also said: “Our enemy is extreme Islam: ISIL, Hamas, Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra, Al-Shabab and Hizbullah.”

He said that extremist Islam is seeking to impose a “dark autocratic system on the world and to retreat humanity back 1,000 years.”

He also claimed that, “it is not a coincidence that extremist Islam is hoping to eliminate Israel since it was established. That is because it is the only Western democracy in the Middle East.”