(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 21 June 2015):
 
1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:
 
"I would like to send condolences to the family of the late Danny Gonen, who was murdered by a reprehensible killer. I would also like to send my wishes for a quick recovery to Natanel Hadad.
 
The security forces are now taking vigorous action to apprehend the murderer, of course to bring him to trial and punish him to the fullest extent of the law. The relative quiet in Judea and Samaria must not mislead anyone. There are attempted terrorist attacks all the time; unfortunately, some of them succeed. The reason that most do not succeed is because of very accelerated action by the IDF and ISA and other elements on behalf of the State of Israel.
 
The need to thwart these attacks is constant but in the international proposals being made to us, which – in effect – they are trying to force on us, there is no reference to the security needs of the State of Israel and our other national interests. They are simply trying to push us into accepting indefensible borders while completely ignoring what will be on the other side of the border. Of course, this will lead to the results that we see and that we experience from the Gaza Strip and from Lebanon. We will not allow this to happen.
 
The way to reach agreements is only through bilateral negotiations, and we strongly reject attempts to force international diktat on us in regard to both security and peace. Peace will be achieved only through direct negotiations between the parties that will take into account our national interests, especially security.
 
The US State Department report on Iranian involvement in terrorism needs to be a wake-up call for anyone who does not understand the magnitude of Iranian subversion and aggression both within and beyond the Middle East.
 
The Iranian network now embraces over 30 countries and a new terrorist cell is added every few weeks, whether directly or via its proxy Hezbollah. For example, we recently saw in Cyprus a terrorist apartment in which a great quantity of explosives was discovered, and this is only one example out of dozens.
 
And this regime is now due to receive, under the nuclear agreement, both a certain path to nuclear bombs, in the wake of violations and oversight that has been full of holes, and billions of dollars, which will enable them to increase both the terrorist efforts I have described, their regional aggression and the accelerated arming of their proxies – Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and others. Therefore, this is not a good agreement. This agreement endangers the State of Israel, the Middle East and – in my opinion – the peace of the entire world.
 
Today, the Cabinet will receive a strategic socio-economic briefing by Prof. Eugene Kandel, who has worked together with his team. This is in addition to the assessments being made in the various government ministries and the goal is to outline the main issues facing the state of Israel and begin to deal with our preparations ahead of them. The view is not for next year or the next five years but into the next decade.
 
I think that this is important and will organize the action of the government and even, I would say, the action of governments. There is importance in in continuity of action by Israeli governments regarding the problems that preoccupy us all and it is important that there be a continuous line and not one that changes every time the government does, but I very much welcome this action.
 
Inter alia, one of the things that we will need over the coming decades is to exploit our natural gas resources. This is important. It is not designed merely to meet our current needs but to meet our future needs as well.
 
Moreover, these needs include not only the supply of gas from one field but channeling hundreds of billions of shekels to the State of Israel, which was achieved by the Sheshinski Committee, which gave the state of Israel very considerable compensation from the gas, on condition that we extract it. I am not impressed by the populist attack; we are determined to extract the gas.
 
I agreed with Energy Minister Steinitz to deal with this along with the Director General of my ministry, and they are working all-out. We will do everything to bring about a balance between these two needs. One need is that of the Israeli economy and the citizens of Israel and the other is hat of the investors. A balance must be found. In the end, we want to bring about the development of additional fields, and we know that the State of Israel needs to be attractive, just as other countries have understood that they must be attractive, both to meet the needs of the local economy and to be attractive to investors because the investors are those who in the end will develop the gas fields. This has happened in all of the advanced countries. They have a lot of gas. This did not happen in other countries that decided to succumb to populist diktat. They continued to argue and the gas is still underground. In our case, it could remain under the seabed. I will do everything so that this does not happen and that the gas flows. It will provide us with cheaper energy and compensate the state's coffers."
 
2. Pursuant to Article 23 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet decided to approve Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposal, and that of Minister Yuval Steinitz, to appoint Zeev Senir as head of the Atomic Energy Commission, effective 1 July 2015.
 
3. Pursuant to Article 12 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet decided to appoint Orna Hozman-Bechor as Director General of the Interior Ministry.
 
4. Pursuant to Article 12 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet decided to appoint Avi Cohen as Director General of the Senior Citizens Ministry, effective 1 July 2015.
 
5. The Cabinet decided on the composition and responsibilities of the Ministerial Committee on Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption.

6. The Cabinet authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to reapprove draft legislation on economic policies for 2011 and 2012.

7. The Cabinet authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to reapprove legislation on encouraging industrial research and development so as to provide for the establishment of a national authority on technological research, development and innovation.

8. National Economic Council Chairman Prof. Eugene Kandel began to brief ministers on the current strategic socio-economic situation. He discussed trends and changes in the global economy as well those in the Israeli economy and society while noting the challenges facing the Israeli economy. He referred to the courses of action necessary for forging the appropriate tools and coordinated policies so that the Israeli economy might prepare itself for situations of uncertainty and anticipated changes. He said that in order to prepare for the anticipated challenges comprehensive strategic thinking was necessary as well as administrative and organizational flexibility and the ability to implement policies.
 
The briefing will continue at the next Cabinet meeting.