Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has castigated hundreds of Arab Israelis protesting his visit to the town of Ein Mahil, a predominately Muslim community in the northern part of the occupied territories.

“I saw a protest at the entrance here. A protest. The [protesters] were holding up signs [with the symbol] of Fatah, of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization], and [protesting] against my visit. What for? What are they protesting against, I ask you...,” Netanyahu said during his address in Ein Mahil on Thursday evening, according to the Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva.

He had been invited to make a speech in the city by local Arab leadership, but the local community did not favor the move.

Netanyahu further claimed Israel was the only entity that “protects human rights,” calling on the demonstrators to be “ashamed” of themselves.

The Israeli Arab demonstrators, however, waved the flags of Palestine and the Fatah party and demanded Netanyahu cancel his appearance.

Netanyahu further claimed, “We believe in progress, we believe in coexistence, and we work for that goal, and we will continue to do it together, here in Ein Mahil, and everywhere.”

The northern cities in the occupied territories have been the scene of several anti-Netanyahu protests in recent years.

The latest protest was held amid global anger at a recent US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city, the eastern part of which hosts the third holiest Muslim site.

Netanyahu is under scrutiny among Israelis for the corruption charges he is facing.

He is the subject of two high-profile graft cases, dubbed Case 1000 and Case 2000.