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

"Last Wednesday, 21.5.08, a statement was released simultaneously in Damascus, Ankara and Jerusalem about the opening of negotiations for a comprehensive peace between Israel and Syria, under Turkish auspices.  The statement referred to a process that began in February 2007 and which developed cautiously and gradually, conducted and guided by myself and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and with the knowledge of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and reached last week's simultaneous announcement.  Since the announcement, there has been much speculation and commentary.  I want to say here and now that we have no intention of conducting these negotiations neither in the media, nor in daily statements, nor in slogans.  Rather, we will conduct serious and responsible negotiations, with all due caution.  Israel has experience in negotiating with the Syrian government, in the past as well.  In the past, the public knew that negotiations were being held but the sensitive details and intricacies were naturally kept so that the negotiations might be conducted better.  I can say that we are taking these negotiations seriously.  There has been, and will be, very precise and detailed preparations, which are appropriate for the expectations we have of these negotiations, given the current reality, not that of nine or ten years ago, and given the security and diplomatic sensitivities that stem from reality as we know it today, not as we knew it in the past.  This must be completely clear.  Of course, the various bodies will be involved at every critical point in this process; they will receive full information.  There will be a steering committee, composed of all the relevant bodies, for the conduct of the negotiations.  It will not be different from the conduct of other negotiations.  In the negotiations that we are also holding with the Palestinians, all bodies are involved in every detail.  However, this is not to say that these details must be exposed in the headlines on a daily basis.  I think that this would be an incorrect procedure and we must be very careful lest our ability to reach significant results on the most fateful questions regarding the future existence of the State of Israel be impaired.  Naturally, at the beginning of our meeting, I will deliver the necessary details on the development of the issue, and the Cabinet will receive reports as necessary during the process, at all relevant intervals.

The heads of the security services will also brief us on the situation in Gaza.  Defense Minister Barak has said repeatedly, and I fully share his view, and these contacts – like the other issues – are done with full coordination, that the situation in the south is reaching a critical point.  The State of Israel wants quiet and full security in both the immediate and long terms, for the residents of the south, and we will need to make decisions so that this will be the result.  If this result can come about through the efforts that Egypt is making, how much the better.  If this result does not come about due to these efforts, it will come about by other means.  We have no intention of dragging things out for long.  We have said that we are very sensitive to the distress of the residents of the south.  We are committed to provide security for the residents of the State of Israel.  The Government has no higher, greater or more significant obligation than providing security to its residents.  This is what causes me, Defense Minister Barak, IDF commanders and security service heads to lose sleep every day."

Prime Minister Olmert said that National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer would brief the Cabinet on the water crisis.  The Prime Minister noted – inter alia – that, "Israel has the largest desalination facility in the world, in terms of output, more than 100 million cubic meters," and referred to plans for the construction of additional desalination plants.

Prime Minister Olmert also said that Social Welfare and Social Services Minister Yitzhak Herzog would brief the Cabinet on social welfare in Israel.  The Prime Minister noted – inter alia – that, "It seems to me that we are beginning to see first signs of improvement.  For the first time in decades, there is the beginning of a decline in the number of poor people in the State of Israel.  I say so with all due caution and modesty because this is not what we want.  We want there to be a dramatic decline in the number of people living below the poverty line and we will work to bring this about."