Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deplored a statement made by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said that it was "human nature" for oppressed people to react to occupation, saying such a statement only helps bolster terrorism.
Speaking at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Ban condemned recent stabbings of Israelis by Palestinian but also said Israel's "occupation serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism,'' CBN.com reported.
"The UN secretary general's comments give terror a tailwind. There is no justification for terror," Netanyahu said.
"The Palestinian murderers do not want to build a country – they want to destroy a country, and say so openly. They want to murder Jews wherever they may be, and say so openly. They do not murder for peace and they do not murder for human rights," the Israeli prime minister said.
He pointed out that the "U.N. lost its neutrality and moral force years ago and the secretary general's statements won't improve the situation."
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon echoed Netanyahu's statements, saying: "The facts don't lie. The Security Council has been hypocritical when it comes to Israel."
Ban, however, defended his remarks and rejected the accusations from Israel, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"He condemns the stabbings, vehicle attacks and shootings by Palestinians targeting Israeli civilians. Again, nothing excuses terror," Dujarric told a press briefing.
Dujarric reiterated Ban's statements that security measures alone will not be enough to put an end to the violence, "we must address the root causes—the underlying frustration and failure to achieve a political solution.''
On Monday, a 24-year-old Israeli woman was fatally stabbed in a West Bank settlement, the third such attack in 10 days. The two Palestinian assailants were shot dead by a security guard, BBC reported.
Israel authorities said that most of the Palestinians killed were attackers, while others were shot dead by Israeli forces during protests and clashes.
