(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 20 January 2013):

1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"Today, we mark the week in which Tu B'Shvat – the festival of trees – occurs and there is a celebration of planting in the Land of Israel. We are bringing about a green revolution, the good green in a Middle East of parks and forests. This good green is in the State of Israel, part of this work is in Samaria, in establishing a Jewish city in Samaria; this mission was carried out by our friend Ron Nachman, who passed away. I think that everyone who knew Ron, and many here did, are familiar with his unique contribution in establishing Ariel, both in vision and deed. He gave his life to this vision and he realized it. Today we part from our dear friend who managed to build Ariel into a city of culture, with a university. I regret that he did not have additional years in which to enjoy the fruit of his labors.

Last night, I met with five US Senators, Democrats and Republicans, and I told them that the problem is not building in Ariel and it is not building in Jerusalem. The problem in the Middle East is Iran's attempt to build nuclear weapons, and the chemical weapons in Syria and the Islamic extremism that is spreading in Africa and threatening to inundate the entire region. I told them that history will not forgive those who allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons. This was, and remains, the main mission facing not only myself and the State of Israel, but the US as well.

I also telephoned French President Francois Hollande. I commended him on his brave step in dispatching soldiers to fight radical Islamic terrorism in Africa. I also said there is a difference, that this terrorism is thousands of kilometers away from Paris, but with us, it is only a few hundred meters away from our communities. But it is the same terrorism and the same war.

Therefore, I also believe that there is special importance in that we built a fence along our border with Africa; otherwise we would be flooded with infiltrators, terrorists and people fleeing this terrorism.

I can report to you that yesterday I received a report to the effect that last month, a total of seven infiltrators reached the fence on the southern border and none of them entered Israel's cities. In the past seven months, no infiltrators have entered Israel's cities. This is one of the most important things we have done in order to safeguard the State of Israel."

2. The Cabinet received three briefings:

A. KKL-JNF World Chairman Efi Stenzler, ahead of Tu B'Shvat, briefed ministers on KKL-JNF's ongoing activities and projects in Israel.

B. Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman and Justice Ministry Director- General Guy Rothkopf briefed ministers on his ministry's operations and projects in 2009-2013.

C. Education Minister Gideon Saar and Education Ministry Director-General Dalit Strauber briefed ministers on the implementation of the Cabinet's 2010 decision on the opening of school registration zones.