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PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet Meeting BreuerPress Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 13 October 2013), made the following remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting: „I would like to praise the soldiers of the IDF for uncovering the terrorist tunnel from Gaza. This is part of our policy – an aggressive policy against terrorism, including preventive action, intelligence, initiated action, responsive action and, of course, Operation Pillar of Defense<www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Issues/Pages/BTH_Ceasefire_Pillar_of_Defense_21-Nov-2012.aspx >. The combination of all these actions and our policy has led to the fact that this year has been the quietest in over a decade. However, we have witnessed an increase in terrorist actions in recent weeks<www.shabak.gov.il/English/EnTerrorData/Reports/Pages/Sep13report.aspx >. We are currently checking the recent incident in the Jordan Valley, the murder of Sraya Ofer. I remember him as a child; he was in my brother Ido’s class and was a frequent visitor at our home. He was a mature, serious boy who afterwards, during his military service, contributed greatly to the IDF and the security of the state. We send our condolences to the Ofer family. I would like to congratulate the 300,000 students who are starting the new academic year today. In the previous decade, in effect, the financial sources for higher education have dried up. My previous government, which included many who are sitting here, dedicated NIS 7 billion in a multi-year plan to strengthen higher education. According to all opinions and according to all those authorized elements that deal with the matter, including the heads of our universities and colleges, this flow and the way in which it is being implemented have led to a turning point in higher education. I say this because it might be forgotten. In the end, there has been a very large increase in the resources that we are channeling to higher education out of the recognition that education in general, including the treetops, not just the roots and the trunk, but the treetops of higher education – they ensure our future, our qualitative advantage and of course our excellence. I am certain that these investments, which we are committed to as part of the multi-year plan, will assist us in fostering more Nobel laureates<mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/ScienceTech/Pages/2013-Nobel-Prize-in-Chemistry.aspx >. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be proved wrong. There is great genius, which sprouts and flowers here. This has always been the case and it will continue to be the case. I meet these budding geniuses, as the Defense Minister and many others among you certainly do, in a series of elite IDF units, including intelligence and others. They have contributed, and will contribute, greatly to the State of Israel.” |
