Netanyahu: Arab Democracy Would Solve the Problem of Peace - 2011

“Your nation is completely surrounded with instability,” said the inquirer. “There’s instability in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, and many other places in the Middle East. What steps do you intend to take to keep the nation of Israel safe in the midst of all of this instability?”

In his reply, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is indeed surrounded – by countries that have not undergone reform.

“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and in North Africa,” he said. “The first thing I can do as the leader of my country is to join the hundreds of millions of others, in the Arab world and beyond, who are hoping that Israel will no longer be the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Netanyahu added that “if the Arab Spring materializes into real democracies, the problem of peace will be resolved. If the Arab world really becomes a collection of democracies, that’ll be the best thing that could happen to Israel.”

Finally, the Prime Minister said that Israel is continuing to build up its economy and defenses, all the while “extending our hand to any neighbor who wants to make peace with us.”