Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday hailed the Shin Bet security agency for its work in preventing terror attacks against Israelis, saying, “Not a day goes by in which there is no thwarting” of an attack.

The prime minister credited the work of the security agency with helping Israel to avoid much of the violence that has engulfed other countries in the Middle East.

“The Shin Bet deters, thwarts, and defeats on a daily and hourly basis those who want us dead,” Netanyahu said at a toast with security chiefs for the upcoming Jewish new year.

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He added: “If the State of Israel stands apart from the shocks roiling our region and from what is occurring in the countries around us — and it stands very much apart — it is not because there are no attacks or attempted attacks. It is because there is defense, counter-action, and deterrence. Your part in this is considerable.”

Netanyahu said that he wished he could tell the citizens of Israel “on a daily basis of the reports that I receive or the operations that I approve,” adding that, “It is easy for me to approve them because I trust in you. I see what you do. Now we must prepare for the future.”

The event was attended by Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. They toured the newly renovated Prime Minister’s Residence at the Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv and Netanyahu helped affix a mezuzah to the doorpost.

Last week Israeli security services announced a 15 percent increase in the number of attacks targeting Israelis in July over the previous month.

There were 255 attacks last month, including 11 in Jerusalem, the Shin Bet said in its monthly report published last week. The June tally was 220 incidents.

Despite the increase, the figures in July were well below those of May, when 365 incidents were documented — the highest number in over two years.

Nearly two-thirds of the attacks recorded in July involved firebombs. Incidents involving the hurling of rocks at Israelis and their cars are not included in Shin Bet reports.