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OPT: Cabinet communique

Forwarding the decision of what is known as the Goldstone Report to the United Nations would strike a fatal blow to the peace process.

(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Thursday), 1 October 2009:

1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"In the next 24 hours, a vote will take place in Geneva in the framework of the council known as the United Nations Human Rights Council. I remind you that in recent years, this council has made more decisions against Israel than against all other 180 counties in the world.

Today, if it should decide to forward what is known as the Goldstone Report to the United Nations, it will strike a severe blow to three things:

First of all, it will strike a severe blow to the war against terrorism since it will afford total legitimization to terrorists who fire upon civilians and who hide behind civilians. To those who - from international platforms, and using international law - attack and condemn the victim who legitimately defends himself, this is a mortal blow to the war on terrorism.

Secondly, it will strike a mortal blow to the stature of the United Nations. It will return it to its darkest days, in which it could make the most absurd decisions, which would empty it of all substance and significance.

Thirdly, and perhaps the most immediate and obvious of all, forwarding the decision of what is known as the Goldstone Report, would strike a fatal blow to the peace process. Because Israel will no longer be able to take additional steps and take risks for peace if its right to self-defense is denied.

Now, the decision on whether to forward this report which will impair both the struggle against terrorism and stature of the United Nations, and strike a mortal blow to the peace process, is a decision of those same 50 countries which are now convening in Geneva. I hope that a majority will show equanimity. We have no confidence in this; usually there is an automatic majority against us. But if there is such a majority, this severe blow will be avoided, and if there is no such majority, the responsibility will be on those countries that lacked balance."

2. Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak briefed ministers on their visits to the US and detailed the issues they discussed there. The Prime Minister and other ministers also briefed the Cabinet on their participation in the UN General Assembly and stressed the meetings they held on the issues of Iran, the Goldstone report and the continuation of contacts with the Palestinian Authority.

3. Pursuant to Article 52b of the 1975 Government Companies Law and in accordance with Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz's proposal, the Cabinet appointed Doron Cohen as the Director of the Finance Ministry Government Companies Authority.

4. Pursuant to Article 23 of the 1959 State Service Law (Appointments) and in accordance with Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat's proposal, the Cabinet appointed Tzach Granit as Director of the Culture and Sports Ministry Culture Authority.

5. The Cabinet amended its 6.6.04 decision regarding the employment conditions of the Director of the SELA Disengagement Authority.

The country recently marked the fourth anniversary of the Disengagement, in the framework of which approximately 8,000 men, women and children were evacuated from their homes. As of today, over 90% of evacuees are still living at temporary housing sites; many families are doubtful as to whether they will succeed in building their homes. There are also severe unemployment and other problems among the evacuees. The situation on the ground calls for quick action. The need for such intensive action among the evacuees from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria is within the national consensus and is a moral and values obligation of the state. The goodwill among the relevant bodies is insufficient. On 29 September 2009, the state commission of inquiry that was established to examine the authorized bodies' treatment of Gaza Strip and northern Samaria evacuees submitted its interim conclusions to Prime Minister Netanyahu. The report indicates a long series of issues about which the commission believes must be dealt with.

The Prime Minister has seen fit to extend the mandate of the SELA Disengagement Authority. Attorney Bentzi Lieberman was chosen to replace Tzvia Shimon as SELA Director, following the latter's request to finish her duties. It was decided at the same time to amend the employment conditions of the SELA Director.

6. Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Health Ministry Director-General Dr. Eitan Chai-Am briefed ministers on the Health Ministry's preparations regarding the global flu outbreak.

7. The Cabinet discussed changing the priorities in the 2009-2010 state budget regarding financing security and health expenditures and decided as follows:

In order to both improve the health establishment's ability to deal with the H1N1 flu ("swine flu") outbreak and meet various security establishment needs (regarding - inter alia - intelligence, home front preparations and reserve duty), the budgetary basis of Government ministries will be reduced by 2% for both 2009 and 2010. Budgetary expenditures stemming from commitments to the various parties in the Government, as agreed to upon the establishment of the current Government, will be reduced by 10% on a one-time basis.