Posted on 06/04/23
Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks [translated from Hebrew] at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, today (Sunday, 4 June 2023):
"On behalf of the Government of Israel, I would like to send condolences to the families of the IDF soldiers who fell on the Egyptian border yesterday: Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun from Rishon LeZion, Staff-Sgt. Yitzhak Ilouz from Safed and Staff-Sgt. Ohad Dahan from Ofakim. Our hearts and the hearts of the entire nation are with the dear families, whose worlds have been devastated. We are all with them, in their profound grief.
The incident on the Egyptian border is severe and extraordinary and will be fully investigated. Israel has conveyed a clear message to the Egyptian government: We expect that the joint investigation will be exhaustive and thorough. This is part of the important security cooperation between us, which has benefitted both countries over the years. We will draw all the necessary conclusions regarding our actions along the fence on the southern border, the Israeli-Egyptian border.
While this fence, which was built in 2013, blocked the flood of illegal migrants into Israel, there is still smuggling, and terrorists make periodic attempts to cross the fence and attack our forces.
We will reinvigorate the procedures, the modus operandi and also the means, in order to minimize smuggling and in order to ensure that tragic attacks such as these do not recur.
About Iran, Iran is continuing to lie to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency's capitulation to Iranian pressure is a black stain on its record.
We revealed information to the world when we brought to Israel Iran's secret nuclear archive five years ago. This information unequivocally proved that Iran was violating the oversight agreements and that it was enriching uranium for military – not innocent civilian – purposes.
Iran's excuses since then regarding the finding of nuclear material in prohibited locations are not only unreliable, they are technically impossible.
The IAEA's ineffectual conduct in the face of these weak excuses conveys a message to Iran's rulers that they need not pay any price whatsoever for their violations, and that they can continue deceiving the international community with their efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.
If the IAEA becomes a political organization, then its oversight activity in Iran is without significance, as will be its reports on Iran's nuclear activity.
In any case, Israel under our leadership, will not stand by. We will strongly uphold our position, both publicly and behind closed doors.
Our alliance with the US is as steadfast as ever; the security and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the US is at an all-time peak.
Last Friday, Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi returned from an important visit to the US which I had assigned them. They discussed, at length, the Iranian issue and other matters that are important to our national security. This visit was in continuation of my talks with President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Adviser Sullivan, CIA Director Burns, and of the joint exercises by the IDF and the US military, of course.
When this government was established, I designated the continued fight against the Iranian nuclear issue, and the effort to expand the circle of peace, as the government's two main goals. I would like to tell you, citizens of Israel, even if not everything can be made known to the public, we are taking vigorous, systematic and persistent action to achieve and advance these two goals.
An additional goal that we set is the fight against the cost of living. Just as we promised, today we are establishing a ministerial committee that I will chair on the fight against the cost of living. The first meeting will be held this week.
We will formulate plans, lead reforms and use all means necessary to ensure that the government takes the necessary actions to open the markets, lower barriers, and work with distributors, importers and suppliers to lower prices and the cost of living for the citizens of Israel.
To conclude, I would like to say, I am certain on behalf of all government ministers – congratulations to Israel's national U-20 soccer team, for bringing us great honor and filling us with pride. Last night, I spoke with the dedicated coach, Ofir Chaim, who was excited as I was and like many Israeli citizens. I asked him to thank all of the players for the historic victory over Brazil, for advancing to the semi-finals of the U-20 World Championship. This is no small thing and neither is it self-evident. I think that we were all excited. It is not every day that we see a group of young men, who hail from all sectors of Israeli society, lining up as one, with great spirit, against the soccer empire – and defeating it. We are all rooting for them. Go Israel!"