Speaking today in Jerusalem, following multiple condemnations from across the globe for the latest settlement announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that no one really objects to the new settlement in and of itself.

Fresh off of condemnations from virtually every nation in Europe and a lot of nations across the rest of the planet, Netanyahu insisted that it has never been the settlements that were the issue, but “the very existence of the State of Israel and the desire to wipe it off the face of the Earth.”

Constructing settlements in occupied territory is a major violation of international law, and while the old canard that the settlements “don’t really matter” has been common in response to Palestinian complaints of stolen land, playing the rabid anti-semites bent on pushing Israel into the sea card when, say, Britain or France criticizes the move is something decidedly new, particularly for a sitting Prime Minister.

And while the move might be politically predictable: Netanyahu is desperate to placate his far-right voter base, especially after their open disappointment at a peace deal with Gaza, it could worsen the diplomatic split Israel is facing with Europe, which seems less willing to put up with such policies than in the past.