Cabinet Communique

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday, 28 June 2015):

1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"The US State Department recently issued its 2014 Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices. It seems that in parallel with the talks with the major
powers, Iran is at the top of the list – due to the executions, torture,
arbitrary political arrests, restriction of freedoms, infringement of
freedom of religion, infringement of freedom of justice, Holocaust denial,
repression of minorities, persecution of the LGBT community and more.

This says that all of the claims by various international elements to the
effect that the election of Rohani changed the character of the regime; all
of these claims are receiving an overwhelming response in this report. This
report joins another recent report issued by the American administration
which determined that during the talks with the major powers, Iran has
stepped up its aggression in the region; it is arming itself with deadly
weapons and the terrorism that it disseminates around the world. Iran
tramples on human rights, disseminates terrorism and is preparing a vast
military infrastructure while the talks with it – despite the foregoing
reports – continue as usual.

At a time when the entire world is shocked, and rightly so, by the
simultaneous terrorist attacks perpetrated by extremist Islam over the
weekend in three countries on three continents, it must be recalled that
Iran is continuing to assist the Assad regime commit slaughters of a similar
magnitude on a daily basis.

Two days before the final date set for the talks on achieving an agreement
between the major powers and Iran, all of these things are being pushed
aside. Everything is being ignored despite the publication of official
reports. But practically, there is no demand that Iran change its behavior
and its violations are being completely overlooked. Its extreme demands, as
well as the concessions to Iran, are increasing. We see before our very eyes
a pronounced retreat from the red lines which were recently declared – in
public – by the major powers. There is no reason to hasten this bad
agreement, which is becoming worse by the day. It is still not too late to
go back and insist on demands that will genuinely deny Iran the ability to
arm itself with nuclear weapons and prevent it from receiving vast sums to
finance its aggression, its spreading out and the terrorist onslaught that
it is pushing throughout the world.

Today, we will be briefed on a different report with more encouraging data.
According to the Jewish People Policy Institute, the number of Jews in the
world has passed 16 million and is approaching – and maybe has already
passed -- the number of Jews who lived before the Holocaust. Of course, were
it not for the problem of assimilation, the number would grow over the long
term. But there is still a certain symbolic value in that the Jewish People
has re-attained the number that it had before the awful destruction. The
increase in the number of Jews stems – first and foremost – from the
increase here in the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish People. The
goal that we need to set for ourselves is that soon over half of the Jewish
People will live here in the state of the Jews, something which has not
happened since Second Temple times.

Seventy years after the destruction of one-third of our people, we will not
allow a regime that denies the Holocaust and openly declares its intention
to destroy our state, to have the ability to do so.

Last week, the Cabinet unanimously approved the expedited development and
expansion of the natural gas fields that have been discovered off Israel's
coast. I am determined to advance a realistic solution that will bring gas
to the Israeli economy. I will not capitulate to populist proposals that
will leave the gas deep underground. We have already seen enough countries
that succumbed to these pressures and the gas has remained in the ground.
This cannot be allowed to happen here.The outline that has been formulated
breaks up the monopoly. In the coming decades it will put hundreds of
billions of shekels into education, culture, health and many other things
for the benefit of all Israeli citizens. After years of discussions, the
time has come to decide so that the gas will emerge from the ground and
reach the Israeli economy and the citizens of Israel."

2. Pursuant to the recommendation of Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan,
the Cabinet decided to appoint Ben-Tzion Sau as acting Commissioner of the
Israel Police – effective 2 July, until 1 September, or until a Commissioner
will have been appointed, whichever comes first – in place of Yohanan
Danino, who is concluding his duties.

3. The Cabinet approved transferring to itself the Economy Minister's
authority under Article 52 of the 1988 Restrictive Trade Practices Act,
regarding actions necessary to increase the quantity of natural gas produced
at the Tamar field and to quickly develop the Leviathan, Krish, Tanin and
other natural gas fields.

4. The Cabinet authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to
reapprove the 2015 draft Government Urban Renewal Authority.

5. Senior Jewish People Policy Institute officials briefed ministers on the
institute's annual assessment for 2014-2015, including the need to increase
Jewish identity, fight assimilation, take an active approach among Jewish
communities, especially young people, in the struggle against alienation
from the State of Israel and to step up actions against BDS and the
delegitimization of Israel.

Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky also discussed the need to increase
efforts among Jewish young people, especially on campuses, to boost Jewish
identity and solidarity with Israel. He also briefed ministers on Jewish
Agency actions in this area.

6. National Economic Council Chairman Prof. Eugene Kandel continued his
strategic assessment of the socio-economic situation.

7-11. Pursuant to item #6, the Cabinet decided to adopt Prof. Kandel's
assessment, including in regard to strengthening government planning and
implementation abilities, economic regional development, boosting human
capital, finance infrastructures, preparations or the aging of the
population and the 'Digital Israel' project.