Government forms special cabinet to rehabilitate north

Prime Minister Olmert announces he will head cabinet, notes 'this is a first-rate national mission.' Minister Ramon absent from meeting, expected to submit his resignation later Sunday

Ronny Sofer |Published: 08.20.06 , 10:36

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday morning announced that the government would approve the establishment of a cabinet to rehabilitate the north, which will be headed by him.

Olmert added: "This is a first-rate national mission."

Major-General (res.) Amos Yaron will be appointed the coordinator of the government's operations in the cabinet to rehabilitate the infrastructures of the north damaged during the war in Lebanon.

According to plans, as part of the cabinet's work a steering committee will be established, headed by Prime Minister's Office Director-General Raanan Dinur. The director-generals of the different ministries will participate in the committee, which will be in charge of preparing the plan for strengthening the north, including a detailed budgetary plan for the years 2006-2007.

According to the government's decision, the cabinet will provide an answer to all the northern communities, whether Jewish, Arab, Bedouin, Druze or Circassian.

According to Olmert, "today we bring to the government's approval a long series of steps aimed at immediately returning the residents to their routine life, as well as significantly assisting in strengthening Haifa and the north."

"As part of the steps taken today, a cabinet which I will head will be established to strengthen Haifa and the north. The cabinet head's stand-in will be Vice Premier Shimon Peres, who is responsible for the Negev and the Galilee, and this cabinet will lead all the government's activities on a daily basis in order to implement the plans to strengthen Haifa and the north," Olmert said.

Rocket damage in Tiberias (Photo: Hagai Aharon)

Justice Minister Haim Ramon did not arrive at the meeting, and according to estimations he is set to submit his resignation letter in the next few hours.

The security cabinet is expected to convene at 2 p.m. In the meeting, the ministers will be briefed on the moves to build the multinational force in Lebanon, IDF's preparation simultaneous to the Lebanese force's entry, and estimations on arms sugglings by Syria and Iran to Hizbullah.

Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog claimed that "Israel did not violate the Security Council resolution in the Baalbek operation. There is an instruction in the ceasefire agreement to impose an embargo on transferring weapons to Hizbullah through Syria and Iran. As long as these violations continue, we have the right to act."