Cabinet Communique

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)



At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (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."



4. The Cabinet approved the target price plan for the housing market;
marketing will begin immediately at a 20% discount off the market price.



5. The Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approximately
NIS 660 million proposal for the economic development of communities in the
minorities sector in 2015.