Israeli security is saving the lives of foreign diplomats, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday at a memorial ceremony for Israeli foreign service personnel who fell in the line of duty.

“The State of Israel is preventing a great number of terror attacks on foreign embassies, in foreign countries,” he said at the Foreign Ministry, without elaborating. “Our activities save lives. They protect the lives of our men, of you, and also help protect the staff of the foreign services of other countries,” he told the gathered diplomats and the families of 16 Israelis who were killed while serving the country abroad.

Recalling various attacks in which Israeli diplomats, their spouses and security guards were killed, the prime minister warned that “threats still exist” but added that Israel has learned its lesson and knows how to fend off attacks on its foreign missions. “Our security forces are investing an enormous worldwide effort to in preventing attacks, and in most cases we are succeeding.”

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Netanyahu mentioned the deadly attacks against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires 25 years ago, saying Iran and its proxies were responsible for the attack and have since increased their support for terrorists across the world.

“Israel was and will remain a spearhead in the global fight against terror,” Netanyahu continued. “At the same time we will continue to expand our foreign ties. In recent years, as you surely know, Israel enjoys a massive flourishing of Israel’s foreign ties that is unprecedented. We’re considered a rising world power.”

The country’s technological knowhow and military and intelligence strength have made it a sought-after partner, he posited. “There are few countries left that don’t have formal relations with us, and even that those that remain [without official bilateral relations] have expanding and widening ties with us.”