Posted on 10/25/20
Following are excerpts from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks at the start of the Cabinet meeting, today (Sunday, 25 October 2020):
"Today, I am submitting for Cabinet ratification the historic peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which has been approved by the Knesset. The Cabinet will also approve sending to the Knesset the agreement on establishing peaceful ties with Bahrain.
As you know, over the weekend we also declared an additional normalization agreement, this time with Sudan, which had been an enemy country until a few years ago. It cooperated with Iran in smuggling very dangerous war materiel to Hamas for use against Israel. This change began as the result of our steadfast stand against Iran, as the result of our taking actions against its activity and attempts to smuggle via Sudan, and – of course – as result of the internal changes that have taken place in Sudan, which we welcome.
This is a great change. After 25 years without a peace agreement, we have brought three peace agreements in six weeks. This is not coincidental, as I said last night. It is the result of a clear policy that I have been leading in recent years, with great intensity, in many efforts both open and concealed, over the years. I cannot discuss all of the meetings, efforts and paths that we have taken. However, it is completely clear that there is a change here in the concept that says the only way to reach normalization and peace agreements with the Arab world is to do things that would endanger the security of Israel, would pull us back to the indefensible 1967 lines, would uproot over 100,000 Jews and would divide Jerusalem. I have always believed that there is another way and that way would, in the end, bring us to reconciliation with considerable parts of the Arab world, and in the end, to a change and sobering up among the Palestinians, to making a realistic peace with them – and not the peace that would endanger our very existence.
What we are doing is peace from strength, peace for peace, economics for economics.
I remind you that in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, in 1967, the Arab League adopted the three no's – no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. And today Khartoum says – yes to peace with Israel, yes to recognition of Israel and yes to normalization with Israel.
Soon an Israeli delegation will meet in Sudan with a Sudanese counterpart in order to discuss cooperation in many fields including migration, which we are discussing.
Again, I would like to thank President Trump and his team for playing a very important part in achieving these three peace agreements. I would also like to take this opportunity to again thank the leaders of Sudan for their historic decision to establish normalization with Israel.
Today we are expanding the circle of peace. Additional countries will yet join only if we consistently adhere to this policy. It has brought us results that we could only dream about, and I dream about much more."
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"The world is being inundated with a powerful wave and we see this in Europe; it is heart-rending. There are very sharp increases there. I know that the leaders there, several of whom I speak with, are agonizing over the questions of what decisions to make. Many now understand that the decisions we made in the Corona Cabinet and the government were correct decisions. They led to a significant reduction and a dramatic decline in the scope of morbidity in Israel. However, for this to hold, we must stick to a gradual and responsible exit and not open up too fast, and I know how difficult this is.
I am familiar with the difficulties faced by businesses, the self-employed and families and parents. Therefore, I first ask for your continued cooperation, which has led to this result.
Beyond this, I also request that the Cabinet directives be honored, not just masks and distancing, but honoring the Cabinet directives. Today, we will submit to the Cabinet increased fines so that everyone, without exception, across Israeli society, honors the agreements. This is not aimed at any one – it is aimed at the virus. It is aimed on behalf of the health of us all.
Regarding studies and commerce, yesterday we held an advance discussion by ministers on the possibility of opening the academic year on 1 November. It could be that it will partially open for first and second grades, and we will also discuss the partial opening of commerce, again, gradually and responsibly, and of course this all depends on the level of morbidity. If morbidity goes down, then the restrictions will also gradually come down. If morbidity goes up, there will be no choice but to reimpose the restrictions. I say this because everyone understands that this is necessary, because otherwise we would have tragic results, which we are currently seeing in other countries, in Europe, as I told you would happen. We are starting to exit the lockdown restrictions before them, and they will apparently enter into many restrictions after us. But we want to exit successfully."
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"Our biological institute is advancing to the stage of vaccine trials. I wish our scientists success. At the same time, I am working to bring vaccines from abroad, because we need to allow ourselves to be ready for progress on the issue of vaccines, which in the end is the way to delimit the disease and take control of it, as happened with other pandemics."
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"I heard yesterday that the government of Lithuania has issued a coin in honor of the Vilna Gaon, who was one of our greatest thinkers and Torah scholars, and personalities that the Jewish people has known throughout its generations. It is very moving that there is a European coin with Hebrew script, which truly commemorates one of the greatest of the people of Israel. I say this as the Prime Minister of Israel, a son of the Jewish people, but also because there are family ties, between my family and that of the Gaon. For all these reasons, I am very moved and I am certain that you are as well."
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Today in the Cabinet, we will approve special arrangements for the Dead Sea area and Eilat. A considerable portion of our tourism is there. We are making special arrangements for them because they are distant, they are separated. This is very important news for the residents of these areas, and also for the citizens of Israel, who would like to go to defined and safe places."