Izraeli PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet MeetingBreuerPress
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting this afternoon (Sunday, 15 December 2013):
„A few hours ago, I held a consultation to assess the situation in the Jerusalem District of the Israel Police. I met with two officers there – Nir, who carried an elderly man on his back, and Noam, who drove a woman to the delivery room. They represent the many thousands in the government agencies, and among the public, who are working for the fourth night in a row in the face of this great storm.
Thanks to the determination of the security and rescue forces, and to the cooperation among citizens, many lives have been saved. The State of Israel is coping very well with the great storm. I believe that we performed better than advanced countries that are hit by such storms more frequently, or countries that suffer such storms, and we see the results with us. I can say that we are pleased, first of all, that we achieved the main goal – saving lives. This is what has guided us from start to finish and will continue to guide us because it is still not over.”
Cabinet Approves Establishment of a Public Committee to Evaluate the Purchase of a Plane for the Flights of the Prime Minister and the President
The Cabinet, today (Sunday, 15 December 2013), approved the establishment of a public committee to be chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge and State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg. The committee’s other members will be former GOC Air Force Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Ido Nehushtan and accountant Iris Stark.
The committee will evaluate the possibility of purchasing a plane for the flights of the Prime Minister and President, as is customary in many other countries. Currently, planes are chartered from commercial companies, the cost of which frequently runs into millions of shekels per trip.
The committee will also evaluate the possibility of building a single structure for the Prime Minister’s office and his residence, as is the case in many countries. In any case, if the committee decides on the construction of a single structure, it is anticipated that it will only be ready in many years.
The committee will submit its recommendations to the full Cabinet after it has evaluated both the economic and security aspects.
Cabinet Secretary Avihai Mandelblit said, „This is a national security need that will serve the State of Israel at least for several decades. Moreover, today the Prime Minister’s plane lacks proper communications equipment, which the head of state for almost every advanced country has. The Finance Ministry has also previously determined that purchasing a plane is economical. Even if it is decided to build the structure, it will, of course, only be in many years. As of now, nobody is talking about such sums, only about recommendations to build a reinforced office and purchase a plane.”
In response to ministers who suggested making a decision to purchase a plane and construct a structure for the Prime Minister without a committee, Cabinet Secretary Mandelblit said, „While it would be possible for the Cabinet to decide directly, we thought it would be more proper to establish an outside committee.”
