'We're not giving up on US recognition of Golan as Israeli'

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took off this morning, Thursday, to Lithuania for the summit of the heads of the Baltic states.

"I was invited to the summit of the Baltic states. This is the first time that the Israeli prime minister has visited Lithuania and been invited to this summit, reflecting the rising status of Israel in the world," Netanyahu said.

 

He added that the purpose of the visit is also to change Israel's image politically in Europe. "We are, of course, interested in strengthening the economic and political ties with these countries, as they are interested in doing with us. I am also interested in balancing the EU's not-always-friendly attitude toward the State of Israel in order to achieve a fairer and more genuine attitude towards the State of Israel. I am doing this is through contacts with blocs of countries within the European Union, eastern European countries, now with the Baltic states and, of course, with other countries."

 

"Besides, the visit to Lithuania, of course, reminds us of the magnificent Judaism that was there, its great heights and the depths of the tragedy of the Holocaust. There is also a personal aspect to it. The families of my father and mother came from Lithuania at the end of the 19th century and the 20th century, I will also touch on this during the visit," added Netanyahu.

He was asked about the decision not to carry out the work on the Ayalon Highway on Saturday and answered, "I do not think it is reasonable to close a traffic route in the middle of the week at Ayalon, I think this is understood and will be taken into account. I don’t think there will be any disruption to traffic.”

 

In addition, Netanyahu was asked whether Israel had given up its expectation that the US would recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory in light of the US National Security Advisor's statement on the matter. He answered, “Would I give up on something like that? No way.”