Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon (Sunday, 2 December 2018), at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks:

 

[English]

 

From the seat of Israel's government here in Jerusalem, I send heartfelt condolences to the Bush family and to the American people on the passing of President George H.W. Bush, a great American patriot. President Bush steered the United States and the world to a peaceful transition at the end of the Cold War and to the expansion of democracy.

 

We in Israel will always remember his commitment to Israel's security, his decisive victory over Saddam Hussein, his important contribution to the liberation of Soviet Jewry, his support for the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry, as well as his efforts to advance peace in the Middle East in the Madrid Peace Conference.  I wish to send my personal condolences to President George Bush and to Governor Jeb Bush and their families.

 

[End English; below is translated from Hebrew]

 

Today we will submit to the Cabinet the plan for strengthening civilian resilience in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip. This decision follows my meeting with authority heads in Gaza adjacent communities, which the Finance and Interior ministers also attended. We have decided to continue the assistance plan that was enacted in recent years. We will invest an additional NIS 700 million in the plan for the welfare of the residents of the area. They are steadfast and we support them. The resilience of the residents in Gaza adjacent communities is an important component in the national resilience. The resilience of the residents of the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip helps me and the Cabinet ministers in making the right decisions at the right time.

 

This evening, the Jewish people will celebrate Chanukah; the spirit of the Maccabees beats in us. It beats in the soldiers of the IDF and in us, the citizens of Israel. By it we have established a strong, prosperous and advanced state. A happy Chanukah to the citizens of Israel."