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Claims against Israel that it occupies the Palestinians are absurd, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Likud faction meeting.“Occupation is nonsense,” Netanyahu said on Monday according to a report in Yediot Aharonot.“Empires have conquered and replaced entire populations and no one is talking about it.”What truly matters is strong diplomacy, Netanyahu added.“Power is key,” he said. “Power changes everything in our policy with Arab countries.”Netanyahu told his party colleagues that concessions are regarded as a weakness in the Middle East, which don’t bring about lasting change. Instead, “aligning [Arab] interests with Israel, based on Israel being a technological superpower, must lead the way.”Israel’s relations with some of its Arab neighbors have significantly improved over the last months. In October, Netanyahu paid a state visit to Oman – the first official visit since 1996 – where he met with Sultan Sayyid Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Subsequently, Oman called on the Middle East to accept the Jewish state.Also, Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the first time an Israeli official was allowed to do so. Regev’s visit followed a judo competition there, at which the national anthem, “Hatikvah,” was played twice after Israeli athletes won two gold medals.