(Jpost).Responding to accusations that the current government had failed to fulfill goals set for its one hundredth day in office, the Prime Minister's Office held a press conference Wednesday to present what the administration considered were its achievements so far.
"The prime minister understood that national interest demands the establishment of a unity government," Cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser said in opening remarks. "This is not an easy task considering that different parties have different outlooks and [Binyamin Netanyahu] succeeded in creating a stance that envelopes the wider consensus."
Hauser addressed economic progress of the Netanyahu government, saying that "the biannual budget… reflects an integrative stance."
Hauser responded to allegations that Netanyahu's policies at times "zigzagged" between certain topics, saying that some of the government's decisions have "been interpreted as the inability to maintain a certain policy or change of opinion, but the fact is, when we are faced with an economic crisis," both security and political challenges must be considered simultaneously.
Government spokesperson Nir Hefez echoed the establishment of a national unity government and the creation of the two-year budget as some of the administration's accomplishments. He added that the government succeeded in designing a package deal to revive the economy - the first of its kind since 1984. The list of achievements, according to Hefetz, also included a reform to the Israel Lands Act and the Bank of Israel law. Finally, the Netanyahu government succeeded in formulating diplomatic framework that includes a demilitarized Palestinian state.
MK Akunis chose to compare the first 100 days of the current administration to the first 100 days of Olmert's time in office. "It is a shame even to waste words on the first 100 days of the Kadima government. The security deterioration that took place then, I don't even need to expand on this… And what was there in the first 1000 days? A thousand days and zero achievements. Now, to comes and say what has happened in the first hundred days here – this is at best hypocrisy, and at worst impudence."
Akunis also spoke about the cancellation of the planned addition of VAT on fruits and vegetables. "I heard Kadima's criticism of the change in VAT," he said. "If the decision had remained as it, they would say it is a bad one. When we changed the decision, they are saying this is flip-flopping. The decision made on VAT after very long deliberations was the most correct decision." first 100 days of our Gov't,is hypocrisy and presumptuousness".
