"Today, we are hosting representatives of the 18th Maccabiah Games. First of all, welcome. Max Nordau, who was Herzl's partner and the second most important person in launching political Zionism, spoke to the effect that in addition to the Jewish brain, there needed to be Jewish strength. He spoke of a muscular Judaism. He did not intend to thereby relax our other obligations but he certainly wanted Jews to rediscover their physical abilities as part of a worldview that, in the end, launched the great change in which we are found.
Therefore, I think that the Maccabiah represents the great change in the Jewish People and unites it as well. Jews come here from all over the world for athletic competitions which both embody the idea of 'a healthy soul in a healthy body' and strongly link the Diaspora communities with the State of Israel in the Land of Israel.
Today's is the last Cabinet meeting of the Government's first 100 days. Our next meeting, which will come two days after the end of this period, will be held in Be'er Sheva, where we will discuss plans for the Negev and the Galilee. But I would like to comment on the past three months.
I cannot say that they were 100 days of grace. I am not sure that we had even one day of grace but thank God, we are not complaining because we have many achievements and the first and most important is the establishment of a unity Government and that we have given content to this unity on the main issues facing us.
We have brought a national agreement on the idea of 'two states for two peoples' and the outlines of the agreement are – first of all – that the Palestinians will need to recognize the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish People. This says that the problem of the refugees will be resolved outside the State of Israel and that Israel needs – and will receive – defensible borders, and includes the full demilitarization of the Palestinian territory.
Forming the national agreement around these principles is the unity Government's most important expression.
We also formulated national economic unity, also unprecedented in the last 25 years, because we agreed on concluding a package deal between the Government, the Histadrut and the manufacturers (the main elements in the economy) and this has caused stability within the international whirlpool. The budget has already passed the Government and its first Knesset reading and next week – so I believe – we will succeed in passing the State of Israel's first bi-annual budget. (It seems to me maybe the first in most countries in the world.) This is also an element of stability in the climate of instability.
Over the weekend, we made great progress toward passing the budget and I have no doubt that it will pass.
We have also made much progress on various reforms. We have already passed – on its first reading – the law to reform the Israel Land Administration, which constitutes a first step toward lowering housing prices and simplifying bureaucracy so as to enable most Israelis to actually own their apartments, to add on a room, to refurbish their apartments, close off balconies, etc., without it being necessary to receive permits. It will enable young people and discharged soldiers to have reasonable housing without having to mortgage their entire lives just to have an apartment.
The last thing in our 100-day period is what we are going to do today and this is to decide to pass the Bank of Israel Law. This law has been in the making for very many years and I would like to thank Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fisher, who agreed to work together in order to formulate an appropriate compromise which says that we are enshrining in the law the Bank of Israel's independence and are providing proper oversight of wages.
I think that this package symbolizes the appropriate and focused achievements and I think that they are correct for the state of Israel at the present time.
There is an additional achievement which, I must note, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and I work on a lot but which is unseen – and this is the quiet. We only hear its opposite.
There is no doubt that Operation Cast Lead provided an important infrastructure of deterrence. But various groups and organizations have tested us, they have tested the State of Israel, by firing at us and my instructions are that there must be an aggressive response to every incident and as a result, the level of firing has decreased. However, we are in continuous struggle for security, both ongoing and in the south. I would say that the agreement on advancing the peace process, stabilizing the economy and bringing the State of Israel to prosperity, maintaining the security of Israeli citizens and of the State of Israel – these are the goals that will continue to guide us not only in the next 100 days but in the tears to come, for the benefit of all citizens of the State."
