At terror memorial, Netanyahu defends security barrier

The Prime Minister’s Office released a short video of Pope Francis’s visit to the terror victim’s memorial on Mount Herzl earlier today.

In it, Netanyahu tells the pope the story of a classmate of one of his sons, a girl blown up “because there was no fence, no wall.”

The pope then solemnly speaks out strongly against terrorism.

“Our people understand the way of terrorism doesn’t help. The path of terrorism is fundamentally criminal,” he says before noting that he prays for all terror victims.

“Please no terrorism anymore,” he says.

Netanyahu then tells him that Israel wants peace.

“We have to build a wall against those who teach [violence],” he says, adding that if there was no incitement the walls could come down and “there would be peace.”

An official said Netanyahu’s focus on the wall was intended to add context to the pope’s prayer a day earlier at the Bethlehem security barrier, an unplanned stop which was seen as a major PR coup for Palestinians.