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At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 19 July 2015):
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
"If someone thought that the extraordinary concessions to Iran would lead to a change in its policy, they received a crushing answer over the weekend in Iranian ruler Khamenei's aggressive and contrary speech. The Iranians aren't even trying to hide the fact that they will use the hundreds of billions that they will receive under this agreement in order to arm their terror machine and they are clearly saying that they will continue their struggle against the US and its allies, first among them being Israel, of course.
Today Iran is arming terrorist organizations with missiles - tomorrow they will have the ability to arm them and themselves with much deadlier weapons. The agreement that was signed paves Iran's way to arm itself with nuclear weapons within a decade, if Iran decides to honor the agreement, and before then if it decides to violate it, as it is usually does.
The alternative to this failed agreement, which we proposed repeatedly, is to the continuation and strengthening of the sanctions on Iran and conditioning the lifting of the restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, and the lifting of the pressure on Iran, only if it changes its policy. As long as the Iranian leadership is encouraging calls of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel', there is no reason to make any concessions to them."
2. Pursuant to Article 21 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet decided to exempt from tender the position of Chairman of the Housing Directorate.
3. The Cabinet approved the draft 2015 Public Broadcasting Law.
4. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 2015 tax code.
5. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 2015 Financial Services Law (Provident Funds).
6. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 1959 Capital Investments Encouragement Law. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 2015 tax code.
7. The Cabinet appointed former Justice Minister Moshe Nissim as a member of the public-professional committee regarding the appointment of the Attorney General. The Cabinet approved draft amendments to the 2015 tax code. Click here for further details.
8. Pursuant to Article 6 of the 1955 Rabbinical Court Judges Law, the Cabinet appointed Minister Ayelet Shaked as a member of the rabbinical court judges selection committee, in addition to Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz.
9. The Cabinet approved in principle an amendment to Basic Law: Knesset regarding the temporary suspension of Knesset membership for MKs serving as ministers or deputy ministers.
10. National Security Council Chairman Yossi Cohen briefed minister on the main points of the nuclear agreement with Iran.
Cohen noted the preservation of Iran's nuclear capabilities that have been made possible as a result of the agreement including the enrichment of uranium and the maintaining of underground nuclear installations such as that at Fordo. This is despite the major powers' promises that the foregoing would not be possible under the final agreement.
Cohen added the go-ahead that was given to Iran to continue the research and development of advanced centrifuges will significantly reduce the break-out time that Iran will need to arm itself with nuclear weapons.
Cohen emphasized that if Iran honors the agreement it will have a 10-15 year break-out time for dozens of nuclear bombs, as the restrictions on its nuclear program are lifted. Were Iran to violate the agreement it would be able to break out toward individual bombs before then.
Cohen said that Iran has not neglected its nuclear program and added that with the hundreds of billions of dollars that will flow into its coffers Iran will step up the terrorism that it spreads in the region and around the world.