CABINET COMMUNIQUE
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 13 January 2013):
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
"I would like to praise the Israel Police, with the support of the IDF, for
its rapid and determined operation to evacuate the Palestinian gathering in
the area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim.
As soon as I was updated on the Palestinian gathering, I ordered its
immediate evacuation
http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Spokesman/Pages/spokepinuy120113.aspx
and it was indeed carried out last night in the best possible manner.
We will not allow anyone to harm the contiguity between Jerusalem and Maale
Adumim.
Over the weekend, somebody criticized my government over the investments we
made in security. Indeed, in contrast to governments that invested billions
in the disengagement, we invested billions in building up our strength so as
to ensure the security of Israel's citizens. We invested and we will
continue to invest in Iron Dome
http://www.idf.il/1283-17611-en/Dover.aspx
which stopped the missiles, in the security fence in the south, which
stopped the infiltrators
http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Events/Pages/eventfence020113.aspx
in cybersecurity
http://www.pmo.gov.il/english/mediacenter/spokesman/pages/spokecyber111112.aspx
and in the offensive and defensive capabilities of the IDF, Mossad and ISA.
These capabilities have already found expression in various areas, including
during Operation Pillar of Defense, which was conducted responsibly and
wisely and which achieved its goals
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/BTH_Ceasefire_Pillar_of_Defense_21-Nov-2012.htm
It is no coincidence that the security situation in the country is the best
it has been in years and this is in the face of the great security upheaval
around us and in our region.
I would like to commend the ministers who dealt with the issue and the
government for backing the important operations to ensure the security of
Israel's citizens.
Preventing a nuclear Iran was, and remains, my main goal as Prime Minister.
Whoever does not understand that a nuclear Iran is most severe threat to our
security cannot lead the State of Israel. Not only must one understand this
but one must also act both on the international plane and on that of
Israel's capability for action. We have done both of these and will continue
to do so if we win voters' confidence as I believe we will.
Today, we will present the issue of national heritage. The Ministerial
Committee on Symbols and Ceremonies recently decided that next Independence
Day will mark the Year of National Heritage. The Government's heritage plan
expresses our commitment to pass to our children the heritage of Israel and
Zionism. In this framework, we have invested approximately NIS 700 million
in a multi-year plan regarding some 300 sites and cultural initiatives. This
includes archaeological sites from the era of the Tanakh
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Tanakh.html
, sites from the early Zionist period, archives, information databases and
more.
I would like to specially thank Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser, who led this
plan and has acted out of deep faith in the importance of preserving
Israel's heritage and passing it on, with that same deep faith that is
shared, I think, by all ministers here."
Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said:
"The Samaria and Judea District [of the Israel Police] acted – along with
units that it received yesterday as reinforcements – to evacuate the 95
Palestinians, including women and children, who were on the hill along with
20-30 journalists, some from overseas, and the tents that they set up over
the weekend.
As soon as the political echelon led by Prime Minister Netanyahu made its
decision, the forces were deployed – the inner rings of Israel Police
personnel were under the command of the Acting District Commander – and
carried out the evacuation without the use of force. The [Israel Police]
forces went up to the site without demonstration dispersal means and ordered
the Palestinians to leave the area. Some left voluntarily, others required
our assistance to be evacuated. The evacuation was carried out without
injuries. All were put on vehicles and evacuated to Kalandia, where they
were handed over to the Palestinian Authority. This was a clean operation,
which started at 02:00 and was over by 04:00. There is now a force guarding
the site, including the tents. As soon as we receive an additional order
from the Supreme Court, because the issue is currently under discussion, we
will continue – of course – to evacuate the tents, should such an order be
received."
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Aharonovitch praised
the security forces for their action in removing the Palestinian outpost.
2. The Cabinet approved the following Foreign Service appointments:
Ruth Kahanoff – Israeli Ambassador to Japan;
Tzipora Rimon – Israeli Ambassador to Portugal;
Barukh Binah – Israeli Ambassador to Denmark;
Gary Koren – Israeli Ambassador to the Czech Republic;
Shmuel Ben-Shmuel – Israeli Ambassador to Australia and non-resident
Ambassador to Papua New Guinea;
Arthur Lenk – Israeli Ambassador to South Africa and non-resident Ambassador
to Lesotho and Swaziland;
Uri Gutman – Israeli Ambassador to the Republic of Korea;
Yael Rubinstein – Israeli Ambassador to Singapore and non-resident
Ambassador to East Timor;
Yosef Livne – Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand and non-resident
Ambassador to Tonga, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands;
Abraham Haddad – Israeli Ambassador to Costa Rica and non-resident
Ambassador to Nicaragua;
Bahig Mansour – Israeli Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and
non-resident
Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominica and Haiti;
Isi Yanouka – Israeli Ambassador to Ivory Coast and non-resident Ambassador
to Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Liberia;
Elie Antebi – Israeli Ambassador to Eritrea;
Carmela Shamir – Israeli Ambassador to Uzbekistan and non-resident
Ambassador to Tajikistan;
Sagi Karni – Israeli Consul-General in Hong Kong and non-resident Consul-
General in Macao;
Raphael Singer – Israeli Ambassador to Angola and non-resident Ambassador to
Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe;
Brett Jonathan Miller – Israeli Consul-General in Mumbai;
Yoel Barnea – Israeli Consul-General in Sao Paulo; and
Dan Shaham Ben-Hayun – Israeli Consul-General in Munich.
3. Pursuant to Article 21 of the 1958 Council for Higher Education in Israel
http://che.org.il/en/
Law, the Cabinet decided to approve the Council for Higher Education in
Israel's 1 January 2013 decision to grant The Shalem Center
http://www.shalem.org.il/
a permit to open an institution for higher education.
4. Pursuant to its 30 January 2011
http://www.pmo.gov.il/english/mediacenter/spokesman/pages/spokeneft300111.aspx
and 7 February 2010
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Cabinet_7-Feb-2010
decisions and in light of the national strategic interest and the economic
and environmental potential, the Cabinet approved a plan regarding the
2013-2025 transition of transportation in Israel to non-petroleum
alternative energy sources and to allow the feasibility of reducing the
weight of petroleum as an energy source for transportation in Israel by
approximately 30% in 2020 and approximately 60% in 2025, vis-à-vis
consumption forecasts for these years, to the extent that the transition is
economically feasible. Click here
http://www.pmo.gov.il/MediaCenter/SecretaryAnnouncements/Pages/govmes130113.aspx
for further details.
5. Pursuant to Articles 53 and 76 of the 1965 Planning and Building Law, the
Cabinet decided to approve a national infrastructure plan regarding
protecting the Dead Sea. Click here
http://www.pmo.gov.il/MediaCenter/SecretaryAnnouncements/Pages/govmes130113.aspx
for further details.
6. Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser briefed ministers on the plan to strengthen
national heritage. Click here
http://www.pmo.gov.il/MediaCenter/SecretaryAnnouncements/Pages/govmes130113.aspx
for further details.
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