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Cabinet Communique |
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| (07/04/2002) |
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 7.4.2002:
1. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon conveyed his congratulations and
appreciation to the soldiers of the IDF, the Israel Police, the Border
Police, the Mossad, the Israel Security Agency, Magen David Adom, and
all of the volunteers who are standing today - and who are ready to
stand - opposite the dangers facing the State of Israel.
Prime Minister Sharon said that a difficult campaign is now being waged
and that it has many accomplishments. The Prime Minister remarked that
this is a very serious campaign in the framework of which Israel is
holding to a policy of avoiding attacks on civilians, which is
prolonging the actions and making them more difficult.
Prime Minister Sharon emphasized that this is a fateful campaign for our
homes and that Israel has suffered more than a few fallen. The Prime
Minister conveyed both his and the government's participation in the
sorrow of the bereaved families, and his best wishes for a recovery to
those who have been wounded. The Prime Minister reiterated that we are
all in this campaign which is decisive for the continued existence of a
secure Israel, which is a condition for attaining peace, the vision and
desire of us all.
2. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer reviewed IDF actions and said
that the security forces are simultaneously operating in most of the
main cities in Judea and Samaria, which have become hothouses for
terror.
The IDF is also operating in the rural sector to which several wanted
fugitives have fled. During the weekend, the IDF almost completed its
takeover of Jenin and Nablus, despite having encountered very harsh
resistance by armed men who barricaded themselves and prepared hundreds
of bombs, car-bombs and suicide-attackers. The most important
achievements of the IDF's actions to date is the arrest of - or attacks
on - dozens of wanted very senior terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
the Tanzim and the PFLP; striking an especially severe blow at the
leaders of Hamas's military wing in Judea and Samaria; and the discovery
of several laboratories for preparing bombs and multi-faceted war
materiel. The IDF has found considerable quantities of important
documents including those which attested to the provision of Arafat's
and the Palestinian Authority's active sponsorship of terror.
Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer noted that the IDF needs time in order to
exhaust this action and to clean out as much of the terrorist
infrastructure as possible.
3. Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz briefed the Cabinet on the
developments in the military campaign to this point. The Cabinet held a
discussion based on the briefing, and authorized the following
statement:
"The Government of Israel shares the grief of the bereaved families of
IDF fallen who fell in the course of the battles and the victims of the
murderous terror attacks, and wishes a speedy recovery for all the
wounded. The Government congratulates the IDF, its soldiers and
commanders in the regular service and in the reserves, for their
fighting spirit, courage, perseverance, and the accomplishments that
they are achieving in Operation 'Defensive Shield.'
Congratulations are conveyed to the ISA, Mossad and Israel Police as
well for their dedicated work for the security of the citizens of
Israel.
Israel, like any country in the world, has the right to defend itself
against the cruel terror operated against it from centers of terror
found only a number of kilometers from its population centers.
Israel is exercising this right in a manner beyond compare vis-a-vis the
morality and care being taken in order to avoid inflicting damage on the
civilian population.
The campaign against terror is necessary for the protection of Israeli
citizens, and essential in order to pave the way to peace.
It is incumbent upon the world to support Israel in this difficult and
moral struggle against cruel terror while it is exercising this right."
4. The Cabinet decided to amend the National Insurance Law so as to deny
the payment of benefits to the heirs or next-of-kin of those who are
killed or disabled while perpetrating terror attacks.
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