Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday once again expressed his support for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Speaking during a reception for foreign diplomats in honor of Israel’s Independence Day, Netanyahu said, “We are committed to our aspiration for peace, a peace that will be based on the principle of two states for two peoples, a Jewish state alongside a demilitarized Palestinian state.

“But in order for the peace to last it must be anchored in security,” he added. “The State of Israel must be able to defend itself by itself; its security will be a main component of any future peace agreement.”

Referring to the Iranian nuclear threat, Netanyahu compared it to the recent behavior of North Korea.

“We have recently seen the results of a wild regime that possesses nuclear weapons,” he said. “We have also seen that heavy sanctions are not always effective against a sufficiently determined regime.

“Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure that this will not happen again. If Iran achieves nuclear weapons, this will change the world. When I said this in the past, many listened and agreed, but now it is possible to agree from an additional perspective, and I think that all governments must do everything possible in order to ensure that this danger is not realized,” said Netanyahu.

In his remarks Netanyahu also offered his condolences to the American people in the wake of Monday’s bombings in Boston, which killed three people and wounded more than a hundred others.

“Yesterday, a day of enjoyment in Boston was turned into a day of terror,” he said. “We send our condolences to President Obama, the American people and the bereaved families. On this day and on any day, Israel stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the American people. We are partners in freedom and in seeking a better future for all humanity.”