Cabinet Communique
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, 18 January 2015:
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
"The decision by the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court to begin an enquiry against the State of Israel is the height of hypocrisy and the opposite of justice. I already encountered such phenomena during my years of public service representing the State of Israel both as ambassador to the UN and as prime minister, but this decision by the prosecutor is in a category of its own. It gives legitimacy to international terrorism. We will fight it every way possible and we will also recruit others to fight this absurdity, and they are already being recruited. We will not allow IDF soldiers to face international tribunals. I would also like to say that these steps will not deter us from doing what is necessary to defend the State of Israel and its citizens.
One of the ways to counter these crude steps, of course, is to strengthen the state and one of the things I am doing is to strengthen immigration to Israel. Today, we will accept a report on the continued removal of impediments to the immigration of Jews from France, Europe and wherever they may be. We also intend to submit at our next meeting a decision to facilitate this implementation.
An additional step, of course, is to strengthen the Israeli economy. Today, we will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who is arriving at the head of a large delegation of 100 government officials and 100 heads of leading Japanese global companies. I remind you that the Japanese economy is the third largest in the world and there is a common desire, which found expression in my visit to Japan several months ago, to tighten relations, increase trade and increase investments between Israel and Japan. This fits in with my clear vision to vary our markets. This found expression in my trip to China one and a half years ago and in my meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent UN General Assembly, as well as in the current visit. This is part of Israel's opening to eastern markets. I emphasize eastern markets not because we want to give up on other markets but we certainly want to decrease our dependence on certain markets in Western Europe. Western Europe is undergoing a wave of Islamization, anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. These waves are washing over it and we would like to ensure that the State of Israel will have varied markets around the world. We would also like to decrease cartelization.
Of course, we are also advancing the development of Israel in other areas. What interests Japan and also interests other economies is technological Israel. Today, we will receive a report on actions to advance the digital Israel. This is in parallel with our major efforts in transportation infrastructure. We are also building rapid communications infrastructures that are also reducing the social periphery and giving to every boy and girl in Israel access to the world of tomorrow.
In conclusion, we are also strengthening the State of Israel and all sectors of the population in that we are concerned about the minimum wage. We first raised the minimum wage in 2011, if I am not mistaken, to NIS 4,300, and now we are raising it again to NIS 5,000. I think that this reflects our desire to help all parts of society and I am pleased that it is being done in agreement with employers and workers. This is important for the State of Israel and we certainly welcome it."
2. The Cabinet discussed and approved the draft 2015 Minimum Wage Law (Raising the Minimum Wage – Emergency Ordinance).
3. The Cabinet approved the following Foreign Service appointments:
Boaz Rodkin – Ambassador to Albania;
Itzhak Carmel-Kagan – Ambassador to Turkmenistan;
Eitan Levon – Consul-General in Houston; and
Marco Sermoneta – Ambassador to Colombia.
The Cabinet welcomes the UEFA decision to hold the tournament in Israel, from 15-28 July 2015.
5. Yair Shindel, head of the Digital Israel staff in the Prime Minister's Office, briefed ministers on the goals of the Digital Israel initiative.
6. Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption Minister Sofa Landver, Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption Ministry Director General Oded Forer and Prime Minister's Office Director General Harel Locker briefed ministers on the implementation of the Cabinet's 22 June 2014 decision vis-à-vis encouraging immigration from Europe and on the implementation of its 23 November 2014 decision vis-à-vis easing the absorption of new immigrants into the labor market.
PMO Director General Locker informed the ministers that he was coordinating staff work on formulating an additional draft decision on advancing policy regarding new immigrants and added that the proposal would be submitted for Cabinet approval in the near future.
7. The Cabinet marked Hebrew Language Day.