Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they must focus on establishing new relationships and alliances for the country, in light of the anti-Israel boycott movement gaining steam. PHOTO: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that, in light of the growth of the BDS movement, the country should work to develop new markets, particularly in the area of defense exports, Israeli news site nrg reported.

His remarks were made during a toast in honor of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, which falls on September 13 this year) for Foreign Ministry staff, among them Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely and Director-General Dore Gold.

“We need to work on multiple fronts,” Netanyahu said. “One directly concerns this ministry and the great opportunities that are open before us. In Asia, in Africa and in Latin America, we see great potential for new alliances, for new relationships and great interests based, first and foremost, on Israeli technology and Israeli innovation, which is breaking through a lot of boycott attempts in other parts of the world.”

Netanyahu called on the Foreign Ministry employees to work hard to “ward off the terrible slanders against Jews, and the boycotts.”

Raising the current strain in U.S.-Israel relations, Netanyahu also stressed the need to preserve and strengthen ties with the United States.