Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

“Occupation is nonsense. Empires have conquered and replaced entire populations, and no one is talking about it,” Netanyahu stated.

Allegations that Israel is occupying the Palestinians are “nonsense”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Sunday, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

“Occupation is nonsense. Empires have conquered and replaced entire populations and no one is talking about it,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with his Likud political party.

What really counts in the Middle East is strong diplomacy, the prime minister asserted.

“Power is key. Power changes everything in our policy with Arab countries,” he underscored.

Netanyahu explained that concessions are interpreted as weakness in the Middle East. “Aligning [Arab] interests with Israel, based on Israel being a technological superpower,” is the key to success, he said.

Israel has seen a recent warming of ties with Arab countries in the region. They share concerns over Iran’s activities across the region, including its nuclear program and its involvement in civil wars in Syria and Yemen.