PM Netanyahu meets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte . Phtoto: GPO/Kobi Gideon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte: “I’ve been through wars. I’ve seen horrible things. I’ve never seen things this horrible. This is a battle of our common civilization.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Monday, 23 October 2023), at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte They first held an expanded meeting in which the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary and the Prime Minister’s Foreign Policy Adviser participated for the Israeli side and the National Security Adviser and the Dutch Ambassador to Israel participated for the Dutch side.

The leaders then held a private meeting.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

“Thank you for coming. I want to welcome you, Mark. You’ve been a tremendous friend of Israel. We’re in a battle of civilization against barbarism. Hamas is ISIS. And just as the world united to defeat ISIS, the world has to unite against Hamas, unite with Israel to defeat them.

I know you understand that this is a battle of humanity against barbarism that is savagery that is unimaginable. I’ve been through wars. I’ve seen horrible things. I’ve never seen things this horrible. This is a battle of our common civilization.

Thank you, friend, for coming. I always say there’s one thing greater than standing with Israel and that’s standing in Israel, and that is what you are doing, Mark. Thank you.”

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte:

“It is good to be here today. My respect for what your team is doing to try to fend off this attack and to restore the safety of Israel.

I know so many people – I think the count is now 1,400 – Israeli people have died through this attack, and it is horrible. It is horrific. And we are going to discuss how now to best move forward. Thank you so much for taking time.”