Netanyahu: Countries flocking to forge ties with Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset says the Middle East has Israel to thank for not being one giant Islamic caliphate.

“Many countries fear Islamic extremism that threatens them and the whole world. Were it not for Israel the whole Middle East would collapse under the gun of Islamic extremism,” he says.

Netanyahu says Israel international standing is hunky dory, dismissing criticism that the country has mismanaged its foreign ties and is becoming isolated.

“We have ties with 161 countries. The one who is isolated is not Israel, but those countries who don’t have ties with Israel, and that number is getting smaller all the time,” he says at a special Knesset session called by opposition party Yesh Atid to discuss foreign policy failures.

Netanyahu also accuses the opposition of ignoring the growing list of countries interested in forging ties with Israel.