Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned pro-Palestinian student protests in US universities as “horrific”, saying the demonstrations “have to be stopped”, AFP reports.

“What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific,” Netanyahu said in a statement, echoing concerns voiced primarily by supporters of Israel over the safety of Israeli or Jewish students and faculty as the protests intensify.

“Anti-Semitic mobs have taken over leading universities,” claimed Netanyahu.

“They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students […] They attack Jewish faculty,” he said.

“It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped,” he said.

He argued the “response of several university presidents was shameful” and said more needed to be done.

“What is important now is for all of us, all of us who […] cherish our values and our civilisation, to stand up together and to say, ‘enough is enough’,” Netanyahu said.