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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today, participated in the ceremony marking the transfer of Bank Leumi shares and made the following remarks:
"Shalom to you all. I would like to welcome you. Finance Minister Ehud Olmert, I thank you for your special efforts – at difficult moments – in conducting the negotiations. To Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fischer, who has ascribed great importance to this move from the beginning, there was another plan for distributing options. From the very beginning, I believed that the correct way was to transact a sale – I had complete confidence, even when there was doubt as to whether there would be buyers, in Israel's economic ability.
I want to thank you, bank Chairman Eitan Raf and bank Director-General Galia Maor, who showed great leadership in running the bank and great confidence in the ability to sell the controlling stake.
Distributing options could have made certain things easier during an election period but I believe that it was not the right thing to do. There wasn't just one buyer, but seven candidates for purchasing the bank and it has been sold for a higher sum than anyone could have realized – NIS 2.5 billion, which will go towards covering Israel's national debt. Not only is this sum very important to Israel but the very ability to sell the controlling stake for such a high sum is a recognition of the importance and status of the Israeli economy vis-à-vis attracting greater foreign investment.
There was a double contribution here – to the buyers, I would like to say, on the one hand, a direct contribution that you made and on the other hand, there certainly was a contribution to drawing attention to the level of the Israeli economy and for that as well I thank you. I want to thank the directors-general of the Prime Minister's Office and the Finance Ministry as well as all those excellent workers who participated in the effort. We have already privatized the banks but I want to make it clear that the State of Israel's privatizations do not end here. We have clear goals and will continue wide-ranging privatizations in the Israeli economy.
Stanley, I would like to thank you again for finding in you a loyal ally in embarking on the policy that we did.
I think that the Israeli economy has made great progress. This stems from carrying out the reforms, from the way in which the Israeli economy is conducted and undoubtedly, there were also important consequences to the diplomatic steps implemented by my government. I think that the steps we have undertaken, including the Disengagement Plan, which was very difficult, have improved Israel's economic situation and international standing.
I intend to continue on this path in accordance with the diplomatic plan that I have implemented. Also in the new government that I will set up, I intend to continue on the same path and I am certain that this will contribute both to Israel's security and to its economy, and it seems to me that that we must all make a great effort to continue towards our goals. We have here a small country but a brave and able one. I am certain that we will know how to realize our dreams and hopes in our homeland.
I again thank Mr. Markin for what you have done. You have made a good deal and you are with people who are interested in your success. We are all interested in your success and in strengthening our ties with the rest of the Jewish People. You have also contributed to this and you are familiar with my position on this matter; thank you."
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