(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 23 February 2014):

1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"Two years ago I said that we would submit a law that would increase equality in sharing the burden, without setting public against public. I think that this process is now being carried out, and we must see to it that it is carried out while maintaining national unity. To the same extent, I add that in the future we would like to see more parts of Israeli society bearing the burden.

Today, the Cabinet will be briefed by Israel National Cyber Bureau head Dr. Eviatar Matania. We established the INCB in order to assist turning Israel into a major cyber power. When I say a major cyber power I mean cyber defense, and indeed this capability is being built, inter alia, by the work being coordinated by the INCB. We want to facilitate better defense for all strata of the country, which are becoming increasingly digitized. The INCB will soon move to Be'er Sheva as part of the national cyber park. I also see this as spurring strong economic development, especially since there is considerable global interest in our abilities, and this can serve not only the defense component, but that of economic growth as well.

Last Thursday I visited one of these defense components, the ISA branch that deals with foiling cyber attacks. I was impressed by the work that I saw being carried out by young people that are doing holy work on behalf of the State of Israel, and I can even say at personal sacrifice. They are ready to dedicate precious, significant years to defending the country and I commend them and the ISA for this important work. We will yet need greater investment in this area both in order to defend ourselves and in order to realize the very great economic potential in this area.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will arrive in Israel tomorrow. She comes as a friend of Israel with a considerable entourage. We will talk with them in order to deepen bilateral cooperation. Of course, I will discuss with her two diplomatic issues of the highest order. Regarding our negotiations with the Palestinians, I will make it clear that the infrastructure of peace between us and the Palestinians will be based on the mutual recognition of two national states, i.e. the necessity of Palestinian recognition of the Jewish state, the national state of the Jewish People.

I will also discuss with her about the nuclear talks. Since Germany is part of the P5+1, I view with concern that fact that Iran believes that it will realize its plan to be a nuclear threshold state, with an enrichment capacity that it thinks cannot be touched, with the ability to develop both nuclear weapons and inter-continental missiles, which it is continuing to work on unhindered. This combination of enrichment, weapons and launch capabilities, says that Iran is, in effect, receiving everything and giving almost nothing. This is the current situation. The permanent agreement cannot render this situation permanent. It must dismantle the Iranian ability to either produce or launch nuclear weapons, and this has yet to be achieved, and without the insistence of the major powers it will not be achieved. I hope that Germany and the other P5+1 countries will insist on the genuine demands to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold state."

2. Pursuant to Articles 8a and 10b of the 2010 Bank of Israel Law and in accordance with the recommendation of Bank of Israel Governor Dr. Karnit Flug, the Cabinet appointed Dr. Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel.

3. The Cabinet amended its 1 February 2009 decision regarding the authority of the Cabinet plenum to act for the King-in-Council as per the 1924 Holy Places Law.

4. The Cabinet amended the municipal code regarding increasing local property taxes.

5. Israel National Cyber Bureau head Dr. Eviatar Matania, at the weekly Cabinet meeting informed ministers that exports by Israeli companies in the cyber field were estimated to stand at approximately $ 3 billion in 2013 and constitute about 5% of the $60 billion global market. (By comparison, Israel's exports are three times greater than the United Kingdom's.) Dr. Matania noted that in 2013, Israeli companies raised $165 million, which constitute 11% of funds raised worldwide in the cyber field. He added that 14.5% of companies that raise funds in the field are Israeli.

Dr. Matania said that Israel has 20 cyber research and development centers of multi-national companies and that approximately 200 start-ups are active in the field, of which 100 are new companies.

Dr. Matania said that in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directive to advance the export of cyber technologies, staff work would soon be completed regarding the removal of impediments to cyber technology exports so as to encourage the industry further.

In his briefing, Dr. Matania gave an updated picture of the situation regarding the development of CyberSpark, the national cyber park in Be'er Sheva, which will be the first area of its kind in the world to include leading companies in the field, security agencies, academic research centers, special educational frameworks that concentrate on the cyber field and relevant national government agencies.