Cabinet Communique
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 6.7.08:

1. The Director of Nativ, Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization
Chairman Ze'ev Bielski, Immigrant Absorption Minister Yaakov Edery, Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni, Minister Yitzhak Herzog, who is responsible for
Diaspora affairs, and other senior officials, briefed the Cabinet on Jews,
and those who are eligible to emigrate, from the former USSR. The scope of
immigration in recent years, the situation of the Jews remaining in the
former USSR, and their relation to Judaism and Israel, were among the topics
discussed.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: "Today's discussion in the wake of very
worrisome data. These are Jews who have the right to immigrate to the State
of Israel. This population consists of approximately 880,000 people, in
addition to 660,000, who emigrated between 1989 and 2007 to various western
countries. The data shows an 80% assimilation rate. Less than 10% of this
population is involved in Jewish activities whatsoever. And to our chagrin,
there are also 38,000 citizens who emigrated back to the former Soviet Union
in recent years. This data indicates a very significant concern that within
a generation the Jewish community will disappear from these countries.
These communities will simply disappear, and the lack of involvement and
deficiency in provided solutions by various bodies is likely to be a factor.
We cannot allow this to occur before our very eyes without us providing
proper answers for which we are here today. Inaction now is liable to lead
to the loss of the third largest Jewish community in the world. We must
find ways to increase solidarity with the state among the children of these
people and increase their desire to be part of building up the country."

2. Prime Minister Olmert, in the name of the Government, wished Israel's
hundreds of thousands of pupils a safe and pleasant vacation, while asking
all citizens, including pupils, to pay special attention on the roads this
summer. The Prime Minister would like to remind that: "In the last year
this Government decided to invests billions of additional NIS in the
education system as part of the New Horizon reform
( http://tinyurl.com/5eejlp ) led, in my opinion, very successfully and
impressively by Education Minister Yuli Tamir."

3. The Cabinet discussed the appointment of a Government committee of
inquiry into the conduct of the law enforcement authorities in the case
against Haim Ramon. Following a discussion, which lasted several hours, the
Government decided as follows: "The Government requests that State
Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss examine - in accordance with his authority -
the issue of wiretaps in criminal investigations, including methods of
implementation, their use and the use of their products, and complaints
about this issue in recent years." See http://tinyurl.com/5cfs8u for
further details.

4. The Cabinet decided to appoint MK Eli Aflalo as Minister of Immigrant
Absorption and Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila as Minister of Tourism.