Madam Speaker,
Members of Knesset,

The subject of today’s discussion is the Government’s path.  I will divide my statement into three parts.  Each part will deal with one of the flags raised by the Government during its tenure, and its policy characteristics.

The first flag is, of course, the political flag.  Israel strives to achieve peace arrangements with all its neighbors and acts to this end.  For the first time in seven years, the political process vis-à-vis the Palestinians was renewed, and is being conducted with the necessary seriousness and caution with the goal of reaching an agreement.

The second flag is the flag of security.  In this area, the Government has acted and will continue to act in the face of various threats from a number of areas which have direct implications on each other.  This begins with the threat from Iran through the threats on the northern border and on to the terrorist threats from Gaza, Judea and Samaria.

The third flag is in the social sphere, with an emphasis on the areas of welfare and education.  In the framework of the socio-economic agenda adopted by the Government, vast funds were delegated for stemming the growth of poverty; to the Government’s comprehensive plan to treat hundreds of thousands of children at risk; for holistic treatment of children from birth through the age of six; to building thousands of new classrooms across the country; and to reforms in the education system.

The role of the opposition all over the world is to be an alternative to the ruling party and Government.  I understand this very well.  Still, I once was a young man, and now I have grown older in this House, and I still have not had the privilege of hearing or seeing such an amorphous discussion – one lacking content, form and purpose – as this one which, unfortunately will only continue harming the Knesset and its status.