PM Netanyahu Meets with Druze Community Leaders
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Wednesday, 26 November
2014), met with Druze community leaders. In attendance were Druze spiritual
leader Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, Sheikh Hatem Halabi, Sheikh Mahmoud Seif,
Sheikh Fandi Salah Assad and Druze Local Councils Forum head Jaber Hamoud.

Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his condolences on the deaths of Israel
Police Master Sergeant Zidan Nahad Seif, who was killed in last week's
terrorist attack on a Jerusalem synagogue, and Border Police Chief Inspector
Jidan Assad, who was killed on November 5 when a Palestinian terrorist
deliberately rammed his car into a crowd of people at a light rail station
in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Druze leaders, "You are our very flesh.
You are an organic part of Israeli society. Your heroic policemen and
soldiers have fallen in order to defend the state and all its citizens but
we will defend your rights and your security. This is as important to us as
defending the security of each and every citizen but there is a deep
emotional commitment here that found expression in the crowds who came to
the funeral. This emotionally underscored what Israeli citizens feel and
what I feel."

Prime Minister Netanyahu added, "We are in a major fight against Islamist
extremist fanatics. This is not simple. This is a dangerous threat. This is
a struggle that we must fight. From our perspective every citizen has the
right to life, security and freedom of religion. Freedom of religion and
freedom of conscience – this is our battle. From my point-of-view, your
battle is my battle and my battle is your battle."