Izraeli Cabinet communiqué
Today, we mark 17 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, one of the worst crimes of the new age
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At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 28 October 2012):
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
„Today, we mark 17 years since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. I call upon ministers to stand and observe a minute’s silence.
The murder of Yitzhak Rabin was one of the worst crimes of the new age. It certainly besmirches the annals of the state and of Zionism. It will be etched in Jewish history along with other traumatic events, including those from ancient times such as the murder of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam.
This murder also obliges us to safeguard Israel’s democracy, to defend freedom of speech and to strongly reject all displays of violence. These words will certainly come up today in the remarks that will be made at the two ceremonies that we will go to, both on Mt. Herzl and at the Knesset. I think that as time passes, the deeper significance of this imperative becomes more cogent and it is important that we, as leaders, do not, in any way, allow it to become blurred.
Today we will also decide on completing the protection of residents of the south. Until today, residents of the south in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip enjoyed protection, full protection up to 4.5 kilometers. The addition of Iron Dome batteries affords protection beyond seven kilometers – but the seam remains. In the intermediate seam, there was protection for educational institutions. Today, we will decide to complete this full protection for all residents of the south, for all structures, homes and residences. Of course, this will provide security for residents of the south. We are doing this because attacks by rockets and missiles at shorter distances are much greater in the area around the Gaza Strip than at other distances. I think that this is what residents of the south have been hoping for, they have been calling for it for a long time.
I have discussed this with Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter and, of course, with his predecessor, Matan Vilnai, before the latter went to Beijing. He left me with this request as an imperative that we must implement. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also requested this of me. This decision has been preceded
by extensive staff work by the various ministries, led by the Prime Minister’s
Office and its Director-General. This is, I think, what is necessary. I think that this is one of the most important items that the Cabinet is deciding today for residents of the south. I am certain that it will be approved unanimously.”
2. The Cabinet approved a decision by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation regarding credit ratings companies.
3. The Cabinet authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to approve
draft amendments to legislation regarding insurance companies.
4. The Cabinet unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
proposal on full protection for all communities 4.5-7 kilometers from the Gaza
Strip. Click here for further details.
5. The Cabinet discussed the structure of the Prime Minister’s staff in order to correct the faults indicated by the State Comptroller in his October 2011 report entitled „The Employment of Workers in Positions of Confidence in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
6. The Cabinet approved an inter-ministerial steering committee report on the
evacuation of Dov Hoz Airport in Tel Aviv and the subsequent development of
the evacuated area.
