PM Sharon's Remarks to the Ministerial Committee on the Prevention of Violence
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
[IMRA: When Prime Minister Sharon said today that Israel should deal with violence as it does terror, cynics asked where Mr. Sharon plans to retreat from.  Than again, so far the response to violence has in fact been retreat - with various places of entertainment closing down as a result of incidents of violence.]

Following are Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's remarks at the start of the meeting of the Ministerial Committee on the Prevention of Violence today (Monday), 10.10.05: "I asked to attend today's meeting even though I am not a member of the Committee in order to underscore the importance that I attribute to this issue. Last weekend, we witnessed the awful murder of an innocent person.  Th emurder of IDF Golani Brigade soldier Nidal Mansour, like other cases, was in vain and was without any reason or justification. This violence is a kind of terrorism; we must deal with it like we deal with terrorism.  This phenomenon cannot be countenanced and we will put a stop to
it.  We will make decisions that will ease the police's and judiciary's struggle against violence in Israeli society and we will give them better tools to fight this phenomenon in all its aspects - from personal security and youth violence to violence on the roads. As we have previously announced (http://tinyurl.com/arvbj), the struggle against violence - alongside the struggle against poverty - will have a very important place on the national agenda in the coming year and in the next government.  I expect to hear the Committee's recommendations and I can assure you all that this will not be the last discussion that we will hold on the issue.  As in the war on terrorism, results will not come in a day but just as we have proven that we know how to fight terrorism, I promise you that we will deal with violence."
 

Ministry D-G hosts Iftar banquet for Arab diplomats
(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)


Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Ron Prosor, together with Acting Deputy Director-General for the Middle East Ya'acov Keidar and senior ministry officials, yesterday (October 9) hosted the Arab diplomatic corps in Israel for the Iftar meal at the end of the daily Ramadan fast. Participants included Egyptian Ambassador Muhamed Assem Ibrahim, Mauritanian Ambassador Ould Teguedi Ahmed, Jordanian Charge d'Affaires Nadif Omr, and their staffs. Last evening's banquet was the continuation of a tradition begun by Israeli Ambassador Ali Yihye to break the daily fast of Ramadan with the envoys of Arab countries. Director-General Prosor welcomed the guests with the traditional greeting of "Ramadan kareem" and wishes for a good New Year 5766 according to the Hebrew calendar. He noted this year's juxtaposition of the holy month of Ramadan and Rosh Hashana, stressing the significance of their gathering during a month that is holy to both religions. Prosor expressed the hope that additional meetings and fruitful discussions would further the development of relations in the region. The director-general also surveyed the political developments following disengagement and stressed that it is Israel's desire to improve relations with the Arab countries and peoples of the region, alongside the necessity of a joint struggle against the threat of armed Islamist fundamentalism. Director-General Prosor took the opportunity to express Israel's condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.