PM Olmert's Remarks at the Start of Today's Meeting of the Cabinet for
Strengthening Haifa and the North
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Following are Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's remarks at the start of today's
(Wednesday, 2.7.08) meeting of the Cabinet for Strengthening Haifa and the
North:

"This morning, we are convening the special Cabinet for Strengthening Haifa
and the North. This format was established immediately after the end of
fighting in the Second Lebanon War, in August 2006. I then directed the
Prime Minister's Office Director-General, his staff and the staffs of the
various ministries to act in order to being about the quick rehabilitation
of the entire northern region and to utilize the special circumstances that
were created to give major impetus to development, as part of this
Government's worldview.

Our main task is to develop peripheral areas and give them the support they
have been aspiring to for many years. Over the past two years, we have
convened this Cabinet several times in order to monitor developments.
During that same time, we have channeled over NIS 2.75 billion in budgetary
supplements to the north in order to respond to the special problems.
Indeed, whoever visits the north, and I have done so several times in recent
months, may see that the north is flourishing as it never has. It seems to
me that it is possible to say that we are enjoying the complete quiet there
and that nobody is casting a cloud over residents' lives or is threatening
their security, as - to my regret - we are still experiencing in other areas
of the country.

In the framework of the aforementioned NIS 2.75 billion investment, shelters
have been refurbished, schools have been upgraded, roads have been paved and
strengthened and many initiatives are underway. The prosperity of the north
finds expression in unprecedented domestic and international tourism there,
including many tourists who have never visited there before.

We view this forum as not only as an opportunity to effect light repairs and
changes in order to improve specific points that were in distress, but
mainly to serve as a lever for strengthening the periphery in the State of
Israel, south as well as north. This Cabinet is devoted to developing Haifa
and the north. I have no doubt that the projects that we discuss are
important. They are designed to have the desired results - a prosperous,
flourishing, tranquil, quiet and safe north.

Thank you very much."