Israel
Cabinet: Olmert To Visit England, France To Discuss Iran Threat
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem ---- October 22, 2007...... The following was communicated
by the office of the Prime Minister and the Israel Government
Press Office to the Israel News Agency.
Israel
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told ministers that he would
depart on a diplomatic mission to France and Britain, during
which he would meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Prime Minister Olmert views
the visit as an opportunity to improve Israel
relations with France and Great Britain, two European countries
which hold a decisive influence on the formulation of EU positions
on issues of great importance to our region.
Prime
Minister Olmert will raise the issue of the Iran threat http://tinyurl.com/2hk4mw
with France and England, both of which are adamant on preventing
Iran from developing nuclear weapons. "As I have
emphasized previously," the Prime Minster stated, "a
nuclear Iran is not an Israel problem, but an international
one, and France and Britain certainly are taking an aggressive,
determined and consistent line on this issue."
Israel Prime Minister Olmert will discuss with the British and
French leaders the necessity of continuing economic and diplomatic
sanctions against Iran, which are perceived as beginning to
take effect.
Prime
Minister Olmert will also raise the issue of negotiations with
the Palestinians ahead of the international meeting this autumn,
other bilateral issues and the strengthening of Israel-EU relations
(http://tinyurl.com/2j48vh). Israel is presently in the midst
of an accelerated process of integrating activities and projects
with the European Union.
Israel
Prime Minister Olmert also briefed ministers on his meeting
last Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin http://tinyurl.com/yq5qym.
The Prime Minister summarized by noting that Israel currently
finds interlocutors throughout Europe, a new era in Israel-Europe
relations. He expressed the hope that these relations improve
further and thus contribute both to regional stability and Israelis'
sense of security.
Israel
Security Agency (ISA) Director Yuval Diskin briefed ministers
on current security matters.
The
Cabinet decided as follows regarding those evacuated from the
Deihaniye compound:
Israel
Interior Minister Meir Shetrit will grant evacuees (hereinafter
"residents") A-5 entry visas into Israel as per the
1952 Entry into Israel Law and Article 2 of the 2003 Citizenship
and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Provision) (<http://tinyurl.com/6krsf>).
The visas will be valid for one year and will be extended from
time to time in the absence of any criminal or security grounds
to the contrary, dependent on continued residence in Israel.
Residents
will receive adjustment grants of NIS 45,000 per household and
NIS 9,000 grants for each child under 18. Funds will come from
the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
A
Israel Defense Ministry representative will chair a team - composed
of representatives from the Israel Lands Administration and
the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories
- to hold a dialogue with the residents regarding a permanent
housing solution. The team will update the Cabinet within six
months.
The
Israel Cabinet appointed former Minister Moshe Nissim as a member
of the public-professional committee to select the Attorney
General, effective immediately.
Pursuant
to the 1996 Israel Electricity Law, and in accordance with Israel
Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On's and National Infrastructures
Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's proposal, to appoint Eran Pollack
as a member of the Public Services Authority - Electricity,
effective immediately.
The
Israel Cabinet discussed the draft 2007 Magen David Adom (Amendment
- Symbol) Law.