Prime Minister Netanyahu deflected criticism Thursday during a visit to Sofia that Israel was overacting and acting hysterically in preparation for the expected arrival of protesters on a number of different airplanes over the next few days.
"Every country has the basic right to prevent the infiltration of provocateurs into its territory," Netanyahu said during a press conference in Sofia alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
"Right now there is information of a few hundred people who want to disturb the peace. I don't know with what level of violence, but we have very reliable information that they want to come and disturb the peace and cause a provocation. We are taking the necessary steps."
"If we didn't take action, we would be asked afterward why we didn't act, At the end of the day, it is the government and the relevant authorities who have to prepare. It is okay that all the time we are being questioned, and criticized, and checked. In the final analysis, in the running of the country and protecting its borders and the public order, we are operating according to the rules."
Netanyahu added that there was no "siege" on Gaza, and that if the protesters truly wanted to "free Gaza," they would work to free it of Hamas. Netanyahu said there was a "controlled closure" of Gaza to prevent the smuggling of arms and ammunition.
"It is possible to transfer everything into Gaza, just not arms and ammunition,The number of missiles that have been transferred there in the last half year through tunnels can be brought in on one ship, and that can't be allowed to happen".