PM Netanyahu’s remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting

2018. december 17 06:20

PM Netanyahu’s remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting
 

 

PM Netanyahu’s remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting
PM Netanyahu: I sent a clear message to Hamas: We will not accept a situation in which there is a ceasefire in Gaza and terrorism in Judea and Samaria. We will exact a heavy price for this.

 
Israel Cabinet meeting. Archive photo: GPO/Kobi Gideon.
(Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Sunday, 16 December 2018), at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks: „This morning the IDF uncovered a fourth Hezbollah tunnel. Our operation to deny Hezbollah the tunnels weapon is proceeding according to plan and will continue until all of its goals are achieved. Following the wave of murderous terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria last week we have taken vigorous security and settlement actions. Our forces located and eliminated two of the terrorists and a third turned himself in. Regarding the fourth, we are taking decisive action to find him and we will also deal with him to the fullest extent of the law. I ordered the acceleration of the demolition of terrorists’ homes. We have revoked work permits for terrorists’ clans and in contrast to what has hitherto been the case, as Defense Minister I have ordered that the permits not be automatically restored after the revocation period. I sent a clear message to Hamas: We will not accept a situation in which there is a ceasefire in Gaza and terrorism in Judea and Samaria. We will exact a heavy price for this. I have directed that the status of thousands of homes in settlements in Judea and Samaria be legalized, that two new industrial zones be established near Avnei Hefetz and Betar Ilit respectively, and that 82 new residential units be approved in Ofra. There will be other steps. The Palestinian terrorists think that they can uproot us from the heart of our land. By our actions and the strength of our spirit we will make it clear to them and to the entire world that we are here to stay. I recently read a cogent remark by the noted American human rights leader Martin Luther King: ‘When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You’re talking anti-Semitism.’ I commend my friend Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, under whose leadership the EU has called for the adoption of this definition of Martin Luther King – anti-Zionism is an expression of anti-Semitism. Nobody can say that they are not against Americans, but they just think that America shouldn’t exist, just as nobody can say that they are not against Jews, but they think that the state of the Jews does not need to exist. I thank the Austrian Chancellor for working to expose this absurdity and to precisely define anti-Zionism as a type of anti-Semitism. This week we will hold the fifth summit meeting with Greece and Cyprus at the National Cyber Directorate in Be’er Sheva. This is the first event of its kind, but not the last. We will sign agreements in cyber defense and technology and we will advance the plan to lay a gas pipeline from Israel to Europe. The plan will turn Israel into a major – even global – gas power. This is another expression of Israel’s diplomatic flourishing, which is at an all-time peak and is continuing to rise. The Finance Minister is working on a plan with the Electricity Authority and the Energy Minister in order to minimize each price increase and he will submit the proposals in the coming days. Recently, there has been an 8% decrease in fuel prices, which cost a lot, and saves considerable money per family. In the last three years, the price of electricity in Israel fell by 15% and it is significantly lower than the price of electricity in OECD member countries. The Finance Minister is working so that even if there is a price increase, it will be minimal. We will continue to see to the lowering of consumer prices. On Friday, the consumer price index was published. It declined by 0.3%; the food and housing indices also declined. This is welcome; it is a result of an uncompromising effort to lower the cost of living that we have been leading together with the government. This is a not insignificant success and we will see to it that these prices continue to decline.”