Following are Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s remarks at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting today:

"This Wednesday, US President George Bush will arrive on his first visit as President.  He visited Israel before he became President; this time, he visits as President and – of course – we will welcome him with joy.  Throughout his term, this President has demonstrated great friendship, great concern for Israel's security and full partnership with us on decisive issues vis-à-vis Israel's security and economy, and regarding bilateral relations.  Naturally, we will discuss with him important issues on the national agenda.  I will hold talks with him on issues related to our national agenda and to bilateral relations.  Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will brief him on events since the Annapolis Conference and the continuation of negotiations between us and the Palestinians.  Defense Minister Ehud Barak will brief him on security issues both regarding the Gaza Strip and our continuing war on Gaza-based terrorism and on our continuing war on terrorism based in Judea and Samaria.  The President will, of course, have other meetings and tours throughout the country.  He will also meet with Palestinian Authority officials.  This is a friendly President who admires and supports the State of Israel and the State of Israel will certainly grant him the honor that such a visit deserves.

Last Thursday, long-range rockets were fired that also reached Ashkelon.  There is no doubt that this constitutes an intensification and escalation in terrorism perpetrated by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.  Defense Minister Barak has ordered security forces to intensify the Israeli response, which has been very sharp in recent weeks and which has seen very significant results in strikes against main terrorist elements in the Gaza Strip.  Our security forces will continue to both respond and take the initiative in order to strike at the terrorists throughout the Gaza Strip, as well as in Judea and Samaria.  Defense Minister Barak will brief us on this issue.

We are continuing to invest both in Sderot and in the other communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip.  Today, we will approve a further NIS 23 million in assistance to Sderot and the other communities near the Gaza Strip in order to help their residents deal with the terrorist threats that continue to impose on them.  It will be recalled that in the framework of the process of approving the budget, I promised that NIS 50 million would be transferred in order to strengthen both reinforcement capabilities and the residents in dealing with the problem of terrorism."