At the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, 21 December 2014:
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
"This morning I met with Histadrut [labor federation] Chairman Avi Nissenkorn and Manufacturers Association of Israel President Zvi Oren. I informed them that I have instructed the Finance Ministry to enable the raising of the minimum wage in the government sector to NIS 5,000. This is in continuation of our raising the minimum wage from NIS 3,800 to NIS 4,300, which we did in 2011, and now we are raising it from NIS 4,300 a month to NIS 5,000 a month.
This is great news for 700,000 employees. This will reduce wage gaps in the State of Israel and will also give motivation to enter the labor market to very many workers. This is a good thing and we will promote it.
Today, National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen will brief us on the Palestinians diplomatic and legal moves at the UN and in other arenas, and about the steps being taken against the State of Israel."
2. Prime Minister Netanyahu updated ministers on the rocket that was fired from Gaza at Israeli territory. He made it clear that Israel would not show restraint over the firing of rockets at its territory and that it views Hamas as responsible for any firing at the State of Israel.
The Prime Minister also updated ministers on the IDF response to the rocket fire.
3. National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen briefed ministers on recent moves in the diplomatic arena on the Palestinian issue, including the decisions to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, the meeting of Geneva Convention signatory states, the EU court ruling on Hamas, etc. He said that the Palestinian Authority is trying to advance a forced settlement on Israel on its own terms instead of conducting peace negotiations. An example of this may be seen in the recent conference of Geneva Convention signatory states, a body that has met only three times in its history and each time discussed only Israel. The recent discussion did not deal with the murders in Syria, ISIS terrorism or the abductions perpetrated by Boko Haram – only Israel. He stressed that Israel is working intensively with European governments and organizations, and with the US administration, in order to rebuff these negative trends that are incompatible with the diplomatic and security interests of the State of Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "Parts of Europe have been rife for many years with anti-Israel sentiments and anti-Semitism. In parallel with Israel's efforts to rebuff these pressures and diktat along with our friends in Europe and the US, Israel is working to advance and develop new alliances and partnerships, for example with countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and other places in the world."