Israel Cabinet: Bachar Appointed Acting Director of Tax Authority

By Israel News Agency Staff

Jerusalem ---- January 7, 2007..... The following was partly communicated by the Israel Cabinet Secretariat to the Israel News Agency.

At the weekly Israel Cabinet meeting today in Jerusalem the Cabinet discussed the internal changes required in the framework of the 2007 state budget.

Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert thanked outgoing Finance Ministry Director-General Dr. Yossi Bachar for accepting Israel Finance Minister Avraham Hirchson’s suggestion that he temporarily serve as Acting Director of the Israel Tax Authority.

Dr. Bachar recently reviewed the government’s economic policy and developments in the Israel economy over the past few years, noting the positive economic indicators which characterized 2005: high sustainable growth, a deficit significantly lower than what had been expected, and declines in the debt-GDP ratio and unemployment rates.

At the weekly cabinet meeting, Immigration Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim said that Egypt is obliged to impose a financial embargo on the Hamas government according to the terms of the U.S.-brokered deal under which Israel surrendered control of the so-called "Philadelphia Corridor" to Egyptian and Palestinian control. Boim also pointed out that the international community is still enforcing sanctions on Hamas, and that Egypt must fall in line. Boim warned that Israel may have to reassess its decision to relinquish control of the border, according to Israel Radio.

Several other ministers were said to have agreed with him. The latest violation of the border agreement came on Saturday, when Egyptian officials permitted Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to smuggle some $20 million into the Gaza Strip following his pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Cabinet decided to enact 3.5% cuts in the 2007 budgets of all Israel Government ministries.

Pursuant to the 1959 Israel Civil Service Law (Appointments), the Cabinet appointed Haggai Peleg as Director-General of the Strategic Affairs Ministry.

Pursuant to the 1988 Israel National War on Drugs Authority Law, the Cabinet approved Prime Minister Olmert’s appointment of Chaim Messing as Authority Director.

The Israel Cabinet appointed a series of ambassadors and consul-generals in the Foreign Service.

The Cabinet approved the draft Israel 2007 Political Parties Law and authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and Law Enforcement to approve the final wording.

In continuation of its previous decision, the Israel Government Cabinet approved a project to construct a memorial at Latrun for Jewish soldiers who fell in World War II. See tinyurl.com/ydrzaf for details.

The Cabinet discussed the issue of continued subsidies for the development of industrial zones in peripheral areas of Israel.

The Cabinet discussed the placement of temporary residential structures in the Hulot Halutza communities.

The Israel Cabinet discussed and rejected Minister Meshullam Nahari’s and Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra’s appeals against the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and Law Enforcement’s decision to approve various provisions of the 2006 Beverage Container Recycling Law.

The Israel Cabinet adopted a plan to encourage agricultural exports and to reduce the shortage of foreign workers in the agriculture sector. See tinyurl.com/ydrzaf for details.