| (Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, today (Sunday, 5 September 2021), at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks:
„Good morning to all.
“We are on the threshold of a new year. We hope that it will be a better and calmer year than its predecessor. We will welcome it together, everyone with their family.
“Citizens of Israel, I would like to happily and cautiously inform you today that we have rejected the pressures and avoided a lockdown over Rosh Hashanah. Continue to uphold the directives so that we will remain open also on Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
“The fact that we opened the school year on time and that we are celebrating the holidays with Israel open – this was not a given. It did not happen by itself.
“That there is no lockdown on the holiday is the result of very hard work by everyone sitting at this table and of many thousands of medical personnel and teams that have been working very hard for almost two years.
“The soft braking strategy, the main point of which is safeguarding livelihoods and the economy alongside all of the actions to rein in morbidity, including the booster inoculation, it seems that this strategy is on its way to success. However, we cannot become complacent. Let us see where we stand: 2.5 million Israelis have already received the third dose of the vaccine, and this as the world has yet to decide what it is doing and is still deliberating.
“Let us stop for a moment on this number. 2.5 million did not happen by itself. We blocked the morbidity curves against all odds, which also did not happen by itself. As noted, there were hundreds of large and small actions by this good government.
“I would like to thank everyone who has been busy in this cooperative endeavor, for the work around the clock in recent months, especially Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz and the people at his ministry.
“As noted, this story is far from being behind us. It is precisely now that, in this period that is so close, we need to be even stricter about masks and distancing and to uphold the directives of the education system. We must watch ourselves and our achievements.
“There are several specific emphases ahead of the holiday. I ask every family to be careful. If there are extended meals with children under 12 who are not vaccinated together with grandparents, I ask that you carry out self-tests. Go to the nearest pharmacy, but the self-testing kits and test the children. We just carried out a very successful national antigen campaign. We must be careful; we are so close. It would be a pity for anyone to be hurt when it is so unnecessary now.
“Regarding worshippers in synagogues, we are all obligated by the Green Pass. Regarding children, synagogues must be instructed: It is possible to do PCR tests that hold for 96 hours vis-à-vis the Green Pass. Then do PCR tests for children and if not, the children must not come. Children are very infectious and are easily infected. ‘Take you therefore good heed unto yourselves.’ (Deuteronomy 4:23).
“On another topic – our soldiers, who at these moments are at the front. At the moment there are soldiers in the field who are guarding us with their bodies, and their commanders are with them, always in the lead, always on the first line – this is the way of the IDF.
“From here, I would like to send a clear message to those in uniform and to all Israeli citizens: I absolutely back the commanders and soldiers of the IDF. The IDF safeguards us throughout the year; our job is to safeguard the IDF.
“As someone who is familiar with battlefields and has commanded soldiers, and as someone who has lost the best of his comrades, I know that when decisions are made in operational events, there are also mistakes, sometimes very painful and tragic ones. This is how it is when one fights the enemy; the soldiers and commanders must be supported, especially when there are mistakes.
“There are those who are trying to use the IDF as a tool for advancing cynical political goals. This undercuts our stamina and it is unworthy; stop it.
“Many battles are yet before us, to my regret, and the IDF must be safeguarded so that it may safeguard all of us.
“On another matter: Last Thursday, the Knesset approved the 2021-2022 state budget on its first reading. The country is returning to stability and functioning, and with G-d’s help, we will also pass the budget on its second and third readings, in my view, more clear-cut than on the first reading.
“I would like to commend Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman for leading this process vis-à-vis the ministers and ministries, with professionalism, responsibility, wisdom and with compromises where necessary.
“I would also like to thank the heads of all the parties and all of the ministers for cooperating and showing flexibility, each one in his ministry. This was very impressive.
“We reached substantive compromises. We did not pass the buck to the second and third readings. We found solutions despite disagreements and very different ideologies.
“We are submitting a budget. This is very major news for Israel. This is a budget that reflects the new spirit of this government, and it includes many items.
“Lastly, with great courage, we are dealing with raising the retirement age for women. We are enacting necessary reforms in kashrut and grants for Holocaust survivors and the handicapped. We are strengthening the health system and the hospitals after years of starvation and neglect. We are building up the strength of the IDF. We are introducing competition in a variety of areas and are looking many years forward.
“We all need to be proud of this budget, and I believe and expect that we will continue in this spirit of cooperation and goodwill.
“Friends, a very challenging year has ended. A new year is beginning that I hope will be calmer and a little more conciliatory.
“From here, I would like to send to the people of Israel greetings for the New Year, a year in which we will see what unites, not what divides, and in which we will emphasize what we have in common and always remember that beyond all disagreements – we are brothers.
“May we have a good and sweet year.” |
