Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. told Fox News: “Jews were born in Judea and Samaria [West Bank].”

Michael Laiter added that it is possible to debate whether the construction of this or that settlement is correct, but one cannot call Jews living in Judea and Samaria the colonizers or foreign occupiers of the territory, because, according to him, the origin of the Jews is there.

Laiter said: “Israel has always been and Israel will always be.” He added that violence by Palestinians or Israelis must be addressed and that “unjustified violence is never acceptable.”

His remarks were made in response to criticisms by the UK government of Israel’s policy in the West Bank. Israel refers to the West Bank by the biblical names “Judea and Samaria.”