​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Sunday, 1 January 2017), at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks:
 
"The fight against terror is a global struggle. Over the weekend Chancellor Merkel said what we have been saying for years, that the greatest threat to the future of the world comes from the side of radical Islam. Of course, this terror continues to strike. We saw over the weekend, just yesterday, another deadly attack in Turkey. We send condolences to the families of those who were murdered and best wishes for recovery to the wounded, who, to our regret, include an Israeli citizen. I must say that there is another Israeli citizen whose fate is currently unknown.
 
We have just finished the civil year and according to current economic data, and it is not yet final, this year was better than expected, even very good. We are finishing, it appears at the moment, with growth data of close to 4%. This means GDP per capita grew by almost 2.5%. We are seeing a dramatic decline in our national debt, what is called the 'debt-to-GDP ratio'. It brings forward our goals by several good years and favorably compares with other Western countries.
 
We are also seeing investments in machinery and production inputs by around 20%. This is a very major expression of confidence in the economy. People invest in what they perceive to be an expanding economy. I would like to commend Moshe Kahlon, our friend the Finance Minister, for leading the effort, along with his people, and I would also like to commend the ministers who were party to the effort. I have always said: 'We have a wonderful country.'"