Cabinet communique 11 September 2016

Cabinet communique

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    Today we mark 15 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11. We stand with our greatest ally, the United States of America, and with other partners in the battle against militant Islamic terrorism. Our memories are long, our determination is boundless.
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    Israel Cabinet meeting Israel Cabinet meeting Copyright: Reuters/Sebastian Scheiner
     
     
    ​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
     
    At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 11 September 2016):
     
    1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
     
    [In English]
     
    "Today we mark 15 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11. We remember the victims. We embrace their loved ones. We stand with our greatest ally, the United States of America, and with other partners in the battle against militant Islamic terrorism that spreads its fear, its dread, its murder, around the world.Our memories are long, our determination is boundless. Civilized societies must band together to defeat these forces of darkness, and I'm sure we will."
     
    [Translated]
     
    "The fight against terrorism is also being waged on the social networks, and a senior delegation from Facebook is currently in Israel. The goal here is to improve cooperation against incitement, the incitement to terror and murder, on the social network. The Internet has brought considerable blessing to humanity, but folded within it – to our regret – is also a curse, because terrorists and inciters are using the Internet to attack mankind. We are determined to fight these phenomena and, therefore, I welcome the cooperation, or at least the desire for cooperation, that Facebook is showing, and we hope that these will lead to better results.

    Today, the Cabinet will approve a process to improve the social services that the Government provides to the citizens of Israel, by outsourcing these services. This was raised as a main subject by the Trachtenberg Committee and today we are implementing it. We will see to it that the tenders for the social services of the State of Israel, for the citizens of Israel, concentrate on the best result for the citizen – the citizen is at the center.

    I would like to congratulate all those who were involved in this important step – the ministers of Finance, Health, Social Services and Social Welfare, Immigrant Absorption, Education and Justice, as well as those third sector non-profit associations. Thank you to you all. This is an important moment and, I think, an important turning point as well.
     
    I would like to congratulate the Israeli athletes at the Paralympics. They represent the Israeli spirit at its best. I call on the citizens of Israel to watch the games and see our athletes. Israel television broadcasts any live broadcast of all Israeli athletes participating in these games. There is also a daily half hour summary, and we are now working to try to bring the games to everyone on the internet. Watch the games, support our athletes. They are simply heroes. Good luck to them."

    2. Prime Minister Netanyahu updated ministers on his visit to the Netherlands last week during which he met with the country's leaders.
     
    The Prime Minister made it clear that the Netherlands was rendering assistance by placing scanners at the crossings between Israel and Gaza and Judea and Samaria, in order to screen goods designated for the Palestinians. It was agreed that meetings would be held – with the participation of Dutch, Israeli and Palestinian representatives – in order to advance additional issues on easing trade between Israel and the Palestinians.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out that in all of his meetings with European leaders he raises the issue of their governments' direct and indirect support for the BDS movement which calls for the boycott of Israeli goods, and that the Netherlands has already made decisions against BDS.

    The Prime Minister added that in a few days he would be leaving for the US in order to attend UN General Assembly discussions and said that he would utilize this opportunity to meet – inter alia – with African leaders. He noted that these meetings would be the continuation of Israel's diplomatic effort to draw closer to African countries, an effort that he himself led during his recent trip to Africa, the goal of which is to increase African countries' support for Israel in international organizations.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu said that African countries are seeking Israel's assistance on economic and technology matters and pressed ministers to act – in their respective fields – to deepen ties with African countries.
     
    3. Pursuant to Article 38 of Basic Law: The Government, the Cabinet decided to propose that the Knesset declare a state of emergency for a period of one year, in continuation of the Knesset's previous declaration, on 23 December 2015, which is valid until 22 December 2016.

    4. Pursuant to its 28 September 2014 decision and the recommendations of the team established therein, the Cabinet decided regarding the outsourcing of the provision of certain social services.