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Shalom, Richard Melson
Cabinet Communique - June 25, 2006
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Information Department, Israel Foreign Ministry - Jerusalem
Website: http://www.mfa.gov.il
E-mail: feedback@mfa.gov.il feedback@mfa.gov.il
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Jerusalem, 25 June 2006

Cabinet Communique
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)

At the weekly Cabinet meeting today

2 June 2006:

1. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert referred to the security events that have
occurred today (Sunday), 25 June 2006, beginning in the early hours of
the morning in the Kerem Shalom-Sufa area. He said that this was a very
serious act of Hamas terrorism and added that the IDF has taken
casualties. Several terrorists among those who initiated the attack have
also been hit. The State of Israel views the Palestinian Authority (PA)
led by Chairman Abu Mazen and the Palestinian government as responsible
for this event - with all this implies.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz and the Deputy Director of the Israel
Security Agency briefed ministers on this morning's events.

2. Pursuant to the 2003 Citizenship and Entry Into Israel Law (Temporary
Provision; see http://tinyurl.com/6krsf), the Cabinet decided to extend
the law for six months from 17 July 2006. The Cabinet also decided to
submit the foregoing for Knesset approval.

The law, which entered into force in August 2003, deals with people who
are in Israel illegally and family unification policy regarding
residents of the PA and foreign nationals of Palestinian origin.

The law was legislated against the background of the security reality
since the outbreak of armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinians
which has seen the increasing involvement of Palestinians who have
exploited their status in Israel, which they acquired as a result of
family unification procedures with Israeli citizens, in terrorist
activities, including aiding and abetting suicide terrorists.

The Israeli ID cards given to former residents of the region enabled
them to move freely between the PA areas and Israel and turned them into
a preferred population group for terrorist organizations vis-à-vis the
perpetrating of hostile acts in general, and on Israeli territory in
particular.

On 1 August 2005, the Law was amended so as to expand the exceptions
that enable the granting of permits to be in Israel to population groups
with a reduced security risk. Thus, the authority was given for
approving permit requests by residents of the area who are the spouses
of Israeli citizens, who are over 35 (men) and 25 (women), respectively.
Authority was also granted to approve requests by minors in order to
prevent their being separated from their parents. It was also determined
even in these exceptional cases, permits would not be issued to
residents of the area (or their family members) whom either the Interior
Minister or the regional commander - on the basis of security
assessments - believe are liable to constitute a risk to the security of
the state.

According to security assessments, there has been no change in the
aforementioned security reality. However, in light of Supreme Court
judges' comments about the complexity of the law and the difficulties
entailed in extending it for a prolonged period, it was decided to
extend it for six months only. The Interior and Justice ministries are
currently engaged in comprehensive staff work regarding the preparation
of legislation that will determine procedures for granting status in
Israel to foreign nationals, mainly the foreign spouses of Israeli
citizens.

3. The Cabinet approved certain directives regarding the participation
of soldiers in various education, health and civilian security
frameworks, and to submit them for approval by the Knesset Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee.

4. The Cabinet, in keeping with its previous decisions, approved Health
Minister Yaacov Ben Yizri's recommendation, to which Finance Minister
Avraham Hirchson concurs, to include various medicines in the health
services basket as of 1 July 2006.

5. Pursuant to the 1998 Law on the Authority for the Advancement of the
Status of Women, the Cabinet appointed Marit Danon to replace Yehudit
Plotkin as Director of the Authority, effective 1 July 2006.

6. The Cabinet approved Environment Minister Gideon Ezra's proposal to
change the name of his ministry to the "Ministry for Environmental
Protection".

7. The Cabinet appointed Construction and Housing Ministry
Director-General Aryeh Bar as a Government representative to the Israel
Lands Administration Council.

8. Prime Minister Olmert announced that he has decided to establish a
committee on the rules of ethics for ministers. He said that even before
the recent elections he thought that it would be desirable to formulate
rules of ethics for ministers and the bodies and organizations under
their responsibility. The Prime Minister said that he has asked former
Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar to chair the committee and added
that the latter has agreed. Professors Asa Kasher and Gavriela Shalev
will also participate on the committee. The committee will also
recommend on how to provide for the legal anchoring of its conclusions,
which it will submit to the Cabinet for approval.

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