At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 15 November 2015):
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
„The reprehensible terrorist who murdered Yaakov Litman and his son Netanel last Friday has been apprehended by the security forces; he belongs to Islamic Jihad. Last night, I spoke with their wife and mother Noa and told her that the entire nation grieves over the awful double disaster that befell her and her children. We will deal with the murderer to the fullest extent of the law and we will continue to fight terrorism to the utmost.
Now, mere hours after the murder was perpetrated near Otniel, terrorists set out on a vicious assault in Paris and murdered innocent people. In Israel, as in France, terrorism is terrorism and standing behind it is radical Islam and its desire to destroy its victims. The time has come for the world to wake up and unite in order to defeat terrorism. The time has come for countries to condemn terrorism against us to the same degree that they condemn terrorism everywhere else in the world. It would be proper for Abu Mazen, who condemned the attack in France yesterday, to condemn ruthless terrorism against innocent people in Israel and fight the incitement that motivates it.
We should remember – we are not to blame for the terrorism directed against us, just as the French are not to blame for the terrorism directed against them. It is the terrorists who are to blame for terrorism, not the territories, not the settlements and not any other thing. It is the desire to destroy us that perpetuates this conflict and drives the murderous aggression against us.
Lastly, the terrorists who attack us have the same murderous intent as those in Paris. Thanks to our aggressive policy against terrorism – to control the ground, go into the villages, demolish terrorists’ homes and take preventive action against the infrastructures of terrorism – along with the determined action of the IDF and the security services in carrying out this policy, we succeed many times in frustrating and preventing more serious disasters.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu added:
„I have reviewed over a dozen budgets – it seems maybe even many more than a dozen – as prime minister and finance minister. Therefore, today is exceptional because on none of these occasions, I do not think, did we reach the point that we have reached today in which there is agreement between the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister, along with the Prime Minister’s Office; usually it is a different process. I think that this process is worthy of note because it allows us to manage the budget properly. A proper budget not only for 2016, but also for what will be presented soon, a multi-year plan for the IDF that combines both the ‘Gideon’ plan and the recommendations of the Locker committee. This is a path for strengthening the IDF and making it more efficient. I would like to commend the Defense Minister and the Finance Minister for cooperating on an important goal, as well as the director general of my office, Eli Groner, who worked togethe r with Finance Ministry and Defense Ministry staff for this goal.
I think that we understand that the IDF needs to undergo changes because our region is undergoing changes, the threats against us and the weapons aimed against us are undergoing changes; and our military is also undergoing welcome and important changes.
A strong army is important for a strong economy and vice-versa.”
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon also spoke.
2. Pursuant to Article 78 of the 1971 Prisons Order (New Version) and in accordance with the recommendation of Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, the Cabinet appointed Ofra Klinger to a three-year term as Prisons Service Commissioner, effective 23 November 2015, in place of Aharon Franco, who is concluding his term.
3. Pursuant to Article 23 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet approved the appointment of Galit Vehava Shaso as head of the Culture and Sports Ministry Culture and Arts Authority.
4. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 2015 Security Service Law.
5. The Cabinet discussed the issue of a plan to reduce the number of pupils per class in primary schools.
6. The Cabinet discussed steps to make the planning process for tourism infrastructures more efficient.
8. The Cabinet discussed the bringing to Israel of the last members of the communities who are waiting in Addis Ababa and Gondar.
9. The Cabinet discussed various matters pertaining to the 2016 state budget.
10. The Cabinet authorized Finance Minister Kahlon and Periphery, Negev and Galilee Development Minister Aryeh Deri to implement the Cabinet’s 5 August 2015 decision regarding the implementation of the coalition agreement with the Shas party regarding financing for 0% VAT for public transportation, water and electricity for those with reduced means, by 1 January 2016.
