Cabinet Communique
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
Sunday, 30 October, 2005

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 30.10.05:

1. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra, ISA
Director Yuval Diskin and the IDF Intelligence Corps Director of Research
briefed the Cabinet on security matters.

Defense Minister Mofaz discussed the escalation in terrorist actions in both
the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria over the past two weeks and said that
the escalation attests to the Palestinian Authority's inability to
implement - and inaction in implementing - its obligations and
responsibilities in the aforementioned areas.

Defense Minister Mofaz said that in the absence of Palestinian
counter-terrorism efforts, the terrorist organizations are continuing to
perpetrate attacks against Israel and its citizens. Following recent
attacks and recent attack warnings, the Defense Minister instructed the
security forces to significantly boost their presence along roads, carry out
arrests and monitor traffic by - inter alia - operating checkpoints and
closures.

Defense Minister Mofaz said that counter-terrorist operations in Judea and
Samaria are continuing, especially in northern Samaria and against terrorist
infrastructures. Alongside this, the security establishment is making an
effort to avoid harming the general population and is allowing the fabric of
Palestinian daily life to be maintained.

Defense Minister Mofaz said that the security establishment would continue
to carry out arrests in Judea and Samaria and tighten checks at crossings in
cooperation with the Israel Police, and step up activity in those areas in
which construction of the security fence ( http://tinyurl.com/4tbr9 &
http://tinyurl.com/czaco ) has yet to be completed.

Defense Minister Mofaz discussed activities by the Islamic Jihad command
center in Damascus, which is instructing the terrorists in their actions.

Defense Minister Mofaz referred to violence by Jewish residents of Judea and
Samaria. He said that instances of violence by residents of Judea and
Samaria, especially the "hilltop youth" delinquents, toward IDF officers and
security establishment personnel. Last Thursday, the violence peaked when
the deputy commander of the Samaria Brigade and his personnel were assaulted
by dozens of youths in the context of an operation to evacuate five illegal
outposts in Samaria. Last Friday, the Defense Minister met with several
Yesha Council leaders and made clear to them the severity with which he
views the phenomenon and the dangerous potential of such events. He called
on the Cabinet to strongly condemn this dangerous and shameful phenomenon,
and called on law enforcement authorities to both bring the assailants to
justice and stiffen the legal penalties and thus make it unequivocally clear
that the State of Israel will not countenance a situation in which citizens
assault their defenders. This is criminal and criminals will not be drafted
into the IDF.

Defense Minister Mofaz discussed his visits to Egypt and the UK, including
his meetings with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian intelligence
chief Omar Suleiman, and with UK Defense Secretary John Reid and his
advisers.

Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra also referred to the thuggish acts
perpetrated by residents of Judea and Samaria against both Jews and Arabs.

2. Vice-Premier Shimon Peres made the following remarks regarding the
thuggish acts perpetrated by residents of Judea and Samaria against IDF
soldiers and commanders:

"I would like to say, without exaggeration, that were it not for the
relationship between the people and the IDF, the State of Israel would not
exist. The IDF not only faces the enemy but also unites the nation. In my
opinion, we will be unable to exist if we do not understand the severity of
the situation. The soldiers defend the settlers; without this, there would
be neither settlements nor settlers. In every democratic country, there is
an undemocratic organization - the military. It is not an employees'
committee and its dynamic is not that of employer and employee. It is an
undemocratic organization without which it would be impossible to defend
democracy. There must be one organization that is outside and above, and
receives orders from the political leadership; but it operates with a
disciplined hierarchy. For years, we have seen to it that the IDF would be
acceptable to all of us. The soldiers risk their lives. They work very
hard in the settlements as well, day and night, and I know that they are
making a great effort to take into account the humanitarian needs of others.
Those sitting at this table must unite around the IDF and reject this
shameful disgrace. We cannot allow an IDF officer to show a black eye to
the world. Also, Yigal Amir's mother said: 'Those who were in favor of the
disengagement should be hung in the streets. What rubbish! Who is she?
And who are the hilltop youth? And rabbis give orders to the army? Who
appointed them? On this issue, we must be the most blunt, determined,
united and serious as we can be. There will be no concessions here and no
looking the other way. This is vital not only for the IDF but for the
existence of the state.

I propose that the Cabinet make its united voice heard and I support what
the Defense Minister said, that those who rioted must not be drafted into
the IDF. This is also the opinion of the Chief-of-Staff and I think that it
is the correct decision. I also contacted Attorney-General Meni Mazuz to if
the current laws are sufficient, if not, they must be amended. I also think
that the Israel Broadcast Authority need not give a public platform to every
idiocy and bit of verbiage; there is no obligation to give the right to
speak to a violent criminal who murdered the Prime Minister. There can be
no concessions on this matter because we are speaking about the heart of the
nation. Israel does not yet enjoy full security and full peace; luckily, we
have the IDF that unifies the nation and repels the enemy. Such things must
be strongly and clearly asserted. The Israel Broadcasting Authority must be
told that it need not broadcast everything. Therefore, Mr. Prime Minister,
I propose that the Cabinet make its voice unequivocally clear."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that he accepts the Vice Premier's remarks
and emphasized that he sees no reason why such remarks should not be made in
the strongest possible manner.

3. The Cabinet discussed the proposal of Health Minister Danny Naveh and
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Yisrael Katz regarding
preparations for the possibility of an outbreak of pandemic bird flu. The
Cabinet determined that the possible damage of such a pandemic to the
economy could be considerable and instructed the Defense Ministry to appoint
an official who will be responsible for the requisite preparations. The
Cabinet decided that the procurement targets vis-a-vis medicines to fight
the disease must be in accordance with World Health Organization
recommendations and appointed an interministerial team to make the necessary
procurement recommendations within seven days and submit them to the Cabinet
at its next meeting.

4. The Cabinet discussed and approved the Dinor Committee's recommendations
regarding public broadcasting reform.

5. The Cabinet discussed the issue of unifying the governing bodies of the
various commercial radio and television authorities; see
http://tinyurl.com/bxdfa for details (in Hebrew).

6. The Cabinet approved amendments to the 2003-2005 Israel Economic Recovery
Plan Law and authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to
formulate the final wording of the draft law and submit it to the Knesset.

7. The Cabinet approved Communications Minister Dalia Itzik's
recommendations and decided to approve the appointment of Yifat Ben-Hai and
Yossi Tzemach as members of the Second Television and Radio Authority
Council as of 15.8.05.

8. The Cabinet decided to transfer discussion of the draft National Road
Safety Authority Law to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation for final
wording ahead of the next Cabinet meeting.

9. The Cabinet accepted Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert's
recommendation and decided to appoint Ronit Ken as Director of the Antitrust
Authority as of 3.11.05.

10. The Cabinet decided - according to its authority under Basic Law: The
Government (http://tinyurl.com/2v5nk) - as follows:

*Minister Ehud Olmert will serve as Finance Minister and will no longer
serve as Industry and Trade Minister;

* Minister Matan Vilnai will serve as Science and Technology Minister;

* Minister Tzipi Livni will no longer serve as Immigrant Absorption
Minister;

* MK Ronni Bar-On will serve as Industry and Trade Minister;

* MK Zeev Boim will serve as Immigrant Absorption Minister;

* Minister Boim will also be in charge of liaison between the Cabinet and
the Knesset, in place of Minister Tzahi Hanegbi;

* The Industry and Trade Minister's responsibilities according to the 1960
Israel Land Administration Law wil be transferred to Tourism Minister
Avraham Hirchson;

* Responsibility for the Israel Land Administration will be transferred from
the Industry and Trade Ministry to the Tourism Ministry;

* MKs Zeev Boim and Yaacov Edri will no longer serve as Deputy Defense
Minister and Deputy Public Security Minister, respectively;

* MKs Eli Aflalo and Marina Solodkin will no longer serve as Deputy Minister
in the Industry and Trade Ministry and as Deputy Minister in the Immigrant
Absorption Ministry, respectively;

* Justice Minister Tzipi Livni will replace Minister Ehud Olmert as the
minister responsible according to the 1965 Israel Broadcasting Authority
Law.

All of the foregoing will be submitted to the Knesset as required by law.

11. The Cabinet appointed Minister Tzahi Hanegbi to be responsible for
monitoring progress on implementing the "Jerusalem Envelope" plans and on
the concomitant treatment of Jerusalem area residents who will be affected
as a result of the security fence.