BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama both said yesterday that the Western world must unite in order to defeat terror.

At a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu spoke in the wake of a suicide bombing in Istanbul last weekend, which killed four people including three Israelis, plus Tuesday’s twin blast in Brussels which killed 34 people. Netanyahu said he had spoken to his Belgian counterpart and that, “If there is one people who know what they are going through it is the people of Israel.”

Placing terror in an international context, he said “We’re in a global war against terror. It’s a war of the civilized word versus the sons of darkness. Terrorism strikes everywhere.” He added, “Nothing justifies terrorism, absolutely nothing. In Paris, Brussels, San Bernadino, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Terror must be condemned equally and it must be fought equally.” Netanyahu then pledged “Israel stands ready to cooperate with all the nations in this great struggle. These terrorists seek our destruction, but they will fail; but if we work together they will fail a lot sooner.”

Meanwhile, during an official visit to Argentina, President Obama also addressed the terror threat, saying, “The world has to be united against terrorism and we can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security not only of our own people but of people all around the world.” He then described eliminating ISIS as his “top priority,” saying, “We are going to continue to press on them until we have driven them out of their strongholds and until they’re destroyed.”

Obama also addressed the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. He conceded that, “I am not that hopeful that it’s going to happen in the next nine months,” during the remainder of his presidency. However, he also said that talk of a one-state solution was not viable and that, “I continue to believe that a two-state solution is the best way. Now, over time that could evolve.”