BUDAPEST, July 19-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the support of the leaders of the Visegrad Four (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) regarding the critics of the European Union (EU) against Israel, in a joint press conference held here on Wednesday. Netanyahu is on an official visit in Hungary, the first by an Israeli prime minister in 30 years. "I expressed appreciation for the positions taken by the Visegrad countries on several occasions for representing this position about Israel to the countries of Europe, there is an anomaly, I don't like it, we are often criticized by Europe, often more than any other place by western Europe, often by more than any other place in the world," he said. The EU had critized the Israeli government for hindering the peace process in the Middle East by building settlements in the Palestinian territories. Calling Israel "a bastion of European and Western values" in Middle East, he called for a "reassessment" in Europe about the relationship with Israel. "We have much to offer in the realm of security, in technology, this is not only good for us but also I believe good for you," he said. The host of the meeting, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thanked Israel for its efforts in keeping Europe safe. "Once again we reiterate our acknowledgement towards Israel for what it does for the security of Europe, in the future we would propose that the cooperation between the EU and Israel becomes better," he said. |