Basic Guidelines of the 30th Government of Israel

1.1 The Government will work towards uniting its people by improving relations among all citizens; fostering tolerance, moderation, and respect for others; mending torn relations; and providing hope for a better future for all Israelis.

1.2 The Government will strive to ensure that Israel remains a Jewish, democratic, Zionist State that encourages aliyah and guarantees equal rights to all its citizens.

1.3 The Government will strive to develop a free and balanced economy. The Government views the reduction of gaps and applications of principles of social justice as essential elements of its economic policy.

1.4 The Government will act to promote stable growth through integration in the world economy, improve the standard of living, and encourage scientific, technological, and industrial advancement.

1.5 The Government will act to improve the status of broad sectors of the population, reduce gaps, and raise the standard of living through the revitalization of development towns and the rehabilitation of distressed neighborhoods.

1.6 The Government will act to effect real improvement in public health, employment and living conditions, and in treatment of the elderly, pensioners, the physically disabled, large and single-parent families, and people living in economic and social distress.

1.7 The Government will preserve Jewish tradition and the Jewish character of the State, and it will respect all other religions and traditions practiced in the State of Israel. The Government will set policies that preserve the dignity, welfare, security and quality of life of all people in Israeli society.

1.8 The Government will act to promote equality between the sexes and promote conditions for the advancement of women in government, academia, the labor force, and the economy. The Government will combat violence against women, family violence, and sexual harassment.

1.9 The Government will support cultural and artistic activity, as well as individual artists, in order to foster a climate of creativity and encourage the development of new talent, thus allowing Israeli culture to flourish.

1.10 The Government will strengthen ties between Israel and Diaspora Jewry through ongoing dialogue, find ways to fortify Jewish and Zionist identity, and help in the struggle against assimilation. The Government, together with world Jewry, will combat anti-Semitism and racism.

1.11 The Government will work towards strategic planning and will advance Israel's future as a modern state, governed efficiently and justly, and striding confidently and peacefully towards a better future.<.P>

The factions that are partners in this coalition have decided to work together in the Government in light of the grave security and political challenges facing Israel, although each continues to adhere to its ideological positions on political issues and on the subject of settlement, including the nature and conditions of the permanent agreements. Accordingly, despite differences of opinion, they have decided to participate in a joint government, based on a broad national consensus, in accordance with these principles:

2.1 The primary goal of the new Government is to firmly establish Israel's security and promote regional stability. The Government will act to strengthen national security and provide personal security to its citizens through a determined fight against violence and terrorism. The Government of Israel will demand that Palestinians abandon the path of violence and terrorism and that the Palestinian Authority fulfill the commitments it made in signed agreements and forcefully combat violence and terrorism directed against Israel, its citizens, residents, and soldiers.

2.2 The Government of Israel will act to promote peace with all the states and peoples in the region, while maintaining Israel's historical, national, and security interests. The achievement of peace requires painful compromises by all sides. The Government will strive to achieve stability and prosperity for all peoples of the region. The Government believes that direct negotiations are the correct way to establish relationships of trust and promote peace.

2.3 The Government of Israel will honor previous political agreements ratified by the Knesset, with the condition that they be upheld by the co-signers.

2.4 The Government will strive to achieve permanent peace agreements with Syria and the Palestinians based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

2.5 The Government of Israel demands that the Government of Lebanon uphold its part in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 425 and enter into a peace agreement with Israel. Israel will demand that Lebanon and Syria prevent terrorist activities that threaten the peace and security of residents of northern Israel and IDF soldiers.

2.6 The Government's action on the diplomatic arena will be guided by the principles presented by the Prime Minister to the public before the elections (among others, the principles of the Prime Minister's address at the Herzliya Conference on December 4, 2002). Prior to any practical negotiation of a political settlement involving the establishment of a Palestinian state, the matter will be discussed and decided by the Government.

2.7 In the framework of the fight against terror, the Government will work to establish a security buffer in the seam area, among others by accelerating the construction of security fences and other obstacles. The separation fence, like the other obstacles, are a security measure and their construction has no political significance.

2.8 The Government will act to promote peace with the Palestinians and will work toward interim agreements that include compromises. In the framework of the interim agreements, Israel will explore the possibility of redeployment in Judea, Samaria, so long as Israel's interests are not harmed. 2.9 The Government will do everything in its power to secure the release and return of POWs, MIAs, and anyone who acted on behalf of state security.

2.10 The Government views settlement, in all its manifestations, as having great social and national value, and it will act to strengthen the ability to deal with the difficulties and challenges faced by the settlement effort.

2.11 During its term of office, the Government will not establish new settlements. The Government will provide for ongoing needs in the development of existing settlements.

2.12 The Government will act with firm resolve to ensure the security of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.

2.13 The Government will reinforce the IDF and the other branches of Israel's security forces and strengthen Israel's power of deterrence, with the aim of preventing war and protecting the State, its citizens and residents. The Government will reserve the right to engage the IDF and security forces wherever and whenever needed in order to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens and residents and the Jewish people of the Diaspora.

2.14 The Government of Israel will demand a cessation of incitement and hostility towards Israel in the Palestinian Authority and the Arab countries.

2.15 The Government will work towards maintaining peaceful, friendly, and normal relations with Egypt and Jordan.

2.16 The Government will strive to deepen the special relationship of friendship between Israel and the United States and will continue to foster strategic cooperation between the two countries.

2.17 The Government will work to consolidate and strengthen Israel's relations with the European Union and the European states.

2.18 The Government will strive to strengthen Israel's relations with Russia and the CIS.

2.19 The Government will consolidate and strengthen relations with China, India, Japan, and East Asian countries, with Turkey, Latin America, Oceania and Africa, and with the international community in general.

2.20 The Government, as part of policy to promote peace in the Middle East, will work towards developing frameworks for cooperation among the peoples of the region in the political, economic, scientific, and cultural spheres.

2.21 The Government of Israel will unrelentingly and resolutely combat manifestations of anti-Semitism throughout the world and will cultivate ties and mutual responsibility between Israel and the Jewish communities of the Diaspora.

2.22 The Government will work towards finding solutions to relieve the distressed situation of SLA [South Lebanese Army] refugees.

3.1 The Government will work to ensure the respect and freedom of individuals, equality, social justice, integrity, proper governance, the fostering of mutual respect between peoples, the strengthening of democracy in the State, preservation of Jewish and Zionist tradition, and recognition of the importance of the rule of law and human rights.

3.2 The Government will work towards strengthening the status of the Knesset, the courts of law, the office of comptroller, and law enforcement agencies, while preserving the principle of separation of powers. The Government will work to improve and reform public services.

3.3 The Government will combat crime and violence - including violence among youth, against helpless women, and in schools - through education, deterrence and rehabilitation.

3.4 The Government will work to strengthen the judicial system and the service to litigants and to shorten the waiting period for trials.

3.5 The Government will set clear, public, and equal criteria for granting funds to government ministries and will ensure these funds reach their destinations.

3.6 The Government will strictly enforce the building laws throughout Israel, Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

4.1 The Government will determine priorities for distributing resources at its disposal. Priority will be given, first and foremost, to education. Special consideration will also be given to health; the fight against unemployment and poverty; the creation of new jobs; immigrant absorption; development of the infrastructure needed for economic development and quality of life; strengthening settlement, Jerusalem, the Negev and the Galilee; road safety; and encouragement of research and advanced technological development.

4.2 Government resources will be distributed solely according to criteria based on considerations related to the goals of the government and the needs of its citizens, and not on political party affiliation.

5.1 The Government will work towards building a just society that is sensitive to the needs of individuals. The center of its policy will be the individual citizen and the fight against unemployment and poverty.

5.2 The Government will work to improve the standard of living and the quality of life of both the individual and society. The Government will invest in improving the economic status of the residents of development towns and distressed regions and neighborhoods. It will work to improve the education, employment conditions, and quality of life of all its citizens.

5.3 The Government will work to create conditions that promote economic stability, encourage expansion, and continue structural reform.

5.4 The Israeli economy is small and dependent on foreign trade. Successful expansion of the economy depends on the country's expertise in areas in which it enjoys a relative advantage, thus enabling it to manufacture and export high-quality products and services at competitive prices. This approach necessitates exposure to the international market and the removal of administrative and other obstacles in order to enhance the competitive strength of the country's economy.

5.5 The Government will continue and expand the policy of exposure and liberalization of the money market, capital market, and labor market.

5.6 The Government will maintain a low level of inflation by reducing government expenses, reducing its budget overdraft, creating conditions for increased productivity, and setting appropriate monetary policies.

5.7 The Government will carry out a policy of privatization and will transfer control of business enterprises, including authorities, in accordance with legal and banking regulations, to the public and to private hands.

5.8 The Government will strive to the best of its ability to build confidence in the capital market and to encourage all sectors of the public to increase savings.

5.9 The Government views the business sector as an essential tool in promoting economic growth and creating jobs, and will, as such, work to encourage this sector.

5.10 The Government will work to increase economic competition while limiting monopolies, removing obstacles, and reducing economic centralization, and it will also work towards integration in the world economy. The Government will encourage and promote knowledge-intensive industry and high-tech companies. The Government will encourage investment in these industries and the establishment of new businesses, especially in development areas. The Government will work to establish a technology authority in order to shorten democratic processes, more effectively allocate resources, initiate national technological projects and strengthen the ties between science and industry.

5.11 In order to provide incentives for work and productivity, the Government will examine the possibility of accelerating the implementation of the tax reform plan, and will explore the possibility of significantly reducing the tax on labor. The Government will deepen tax collection and ensure that the tax burden is distributed in a just manner.

5.12 The Government will work to develop peripheral communities and encourage settlement in the Galilee and the Negev.

5.13 The Government will work to hasten improvement of the country's water infrastructure systems, develop its agriculture, and increase agricultural exports.

5.14 The Government will examine the implementation of the Public Housing Law, taking into account budgetary restraints, with special consideration for large families, young couples, new immigrants, recently-released soldiers, and residents of distressed areas.

5.15 The Government will work towards improving the condition of the society's elderly and pensioners.

5.16 The Government will turn its attention especially to the physically and mentally disabled and the hearing, sight, and speech impaired, as well as to single-parent families and exceptional children.

5.17 The Government will work to significantly reduce the number of foreign workers in Israel and will act to ease their hardships.

5.18 The employment preference given to soldiers who have completed their military service will be maintained, as defined by law (1989).

5.19 The Government will explore, within the framework of budgetary restraints, the possibility of raising the wages of soldiers in compulsory service.

6.1 The Government of Israel will make the national-Zionist agenda its central focus.

6.2 The Government, together with the Jewish Agency and the Zionist Federation, will work to encourage aliyah, enhance the Jewish-Zionist education of youth in Israel and in the Disapora, strengthen the bond with Jewish communities around the world, increase the solidarity of the Jewish people with Israel, and ensure the Jewish, Zionist, and democratic character of Israel.

6.3 In light of the need for Israel to take an active role in ensuring the future of the Jewish people and in advancing the national-Zionist agenda, the Government will increase strategic cooperation with Jewish communities and with the Jewish Agency; the Coordination Office will continue to work with the Government and the Jewish Agency.

6.4 The Government will work diligently to increase aliyah from all countries, to save the lives of persecuted Jews, and to create social and economic conditions conducive to the speedy and successful absorption of immigrants in their homeland.

6.5 The Government will assist immigrants in training, professional re-training, employment, and learning the Hebrew language.

6.6 The Government will work to integrate new immigrant scientists and academics into the Israeli economy, public service, business and industry, institutions of higher education, and research. The Government will work to integrate new immigrants in the school system, taking advantage of their cultural and scientific potential for the benefit of the entire education system.

6.7 The Government will strive to eliminate salary discrimination for identical work done by new immigrants and veteran Israelis in every field.

6.8 The Government will pay particular attention to groups of immigrants in need of assistance: the elderly, single-parent families, the disabled, and the infirm.

7.1 The Government will make education its number one national priority and will view investment in educators as the key to economic and social productivity and, in the long range, as the means to remove groups of citizens from the cycle of poverty and distress.

7.2 The Government will guarantee that the Jewish educational system will include instruction in the eternal values of the Jewish people - the Torah, love for the Land of Israel, respect for man created in God's image, the history of the Jewish people and the Zionist ideal, and universal and humanistic values of freedom and mutual respect. The Bible - "Book of Books" (Tanach), the Hebrew language, and the history of the Jewish people are the cornerstones of our national identity and will take their proper place in the education of the young generation.

7.3 The Government will work progressively to ensure equal educational opportunity for all, extending mandatory education to children aged 3 to 5, gradually lengthening the school day, increasing the number of students eligible for high school matriculation, developing the special education system, expanding the system of higher education and ensuring the right to study in it, gradually lowering college and university tuition, and granting student loans, all within the constraints of the budget. The Government will develop scientific and technological education that will shape a new generation of scientists, researchers and teachers, enabling Israel to take its place at the highest levels of research and industry in the areas of science and technology.

7.4 The Government will work to ensure equality in all educational institutions in Israel - state, religious-state, and ultra-Orthodox - while giving expression to their uniqueness of each.

7.5 The Government will promote the educational system in regions targeted as a national priority and in poor neighborhoods.

7.6 The Government will work to enrich education in Zionism, democracy, social sensitivity, and respect for the nation's laws and judicial system.

7.7 The Government will work to improve the training, status, and working conditions of teachers and researchers.

7.8 The Government will work to inculcate the principle of the prevention of cruelty to animals and will enforce the legislation related to this value.

7.9 The Government will place special emphasis on providing education to children of families in distress within the framework of the state educational system.

7.10 The Government will support art, sports, theater, music, dance, film, museums, and libraries on the basis of substantive, equal and public criteria, in an effort to create an atmosphere of creativity, develop talent, and promote the flourishing of Israeli culture. The Government will also promote Israeli literature in its various forms.

7.11 The issue of safety and the removal of safety hazards in educational institutions will be emphasized.

7.12 The Government will continue to promote the concept of day care centers and special programs for children aged 3-4 within the educational system.

7.13 The Government will work to find appropriate solutions for student dropout.

8.1 vThe Government will initiate publicly and privately funded projects for investment in the physical infrastructure and human resources of the country in the areas of transportation, energy and communications, education, and research and development, with the aim of creating the necessary environment to place the Israeli economy on a par with that of the world's most advanced countries.

8.2 The Government will create its own databases and will encourage the establishment of private databases according to law. Together, these will form a national database that is accessible to the public by computer.

8.3 The Government will find a solution to the country's water shortage, including the desalinization of seawater.

8.4 The Government will act to remove bureaucratic obstacles in order to facilitate private investment in national infrastructures.

9.1 The Government will make an effort to solve the transportation problems of the country and will work to prevent road accidents. The Government will continue to allocate appropriate resources in an effort to fight accidents in every way possible, including education, investment in infrastructure, law enforcement and the improvement of vehicle safety.

9.2 The Government will plan rapid rail lines along major highways, pave roads, and build bridges and interchanges in order to shorten travel time, improve access to population centers, and relieve traffic jams.

9.3 The Government will support the establishment of public transportation systems that make use of advanced technology. The Government will work towards opening the existing public transportation system to competition.

10.1 The Government will work to build common ground between religious and secular Jews in an atmosphere of understanding, peace, mutual respect, and shared love of Israel. The Government recognizes the need to define a suitable approach to the issue of religion and state through dialogue and to establish a covenant between the religious and secular sectors, based on a consensus of mutual tolerance and understanding among all segments of society.

10.2 The Government will guarantee that the needs of every ethnic and religious group in Israel are addressed in an equal manner, without regard to political affiliation.

10.3 The Government will safeguard the holy places of all religions and will take measures to enable Jews to pray at their holy places and people of other religions to pray at theirs, with consideration for the requirements of public security and order.

10.4 The Government will act in accordance with the document of principles signed by representatives of the Shinui and NRP fctions, which has been accepted by other factions in the Knesset. This document is attached to the Government guidelines and is an integral part of them.

11.1 The Government will create conditions for full integration of and equality for women in Israel in all aspects of life and will work to ensure equal salary and job opportunities for men and women. The Government will strive to improve the status of women and eliminate discrimination of any kind.

11.2 The Government of Israel will work towards representation of women in all decision-making bodies of the country.

11.3 The Government will particularly denounce and endeavor to eliminate all forms of harassment and violence against women. The Government will work to raise public awareness regarding the seriousness of these problems and will allocate resources to education, information, and deterrence.

11.4 The Government will assist women who are victims of violence, in an effort to restore their physical and mental health, strengthen their self-respect, and help them to function fully with no threat of further violence.

11.5 The Government will explore structural changes in the economy that will allow parents of young children to continue working, including flexible working hours, a longer school day, more day care facilities for pre-school children, and training and support to parents and workers.

12.1 The Government will ensure the full and equal rights of all its citizens - Arab, Bedouin, Druze, Circassian, and all others. The Government will work towards equality in education, employment, housing, and infrastructure and will rectify imbalances in the distribution of resources and public services.

12.2 The Government will work to create places of employment through industrialization in Arab and Druze communities and by gradually narrowing gaps between the various population groups of the country in social and economic infrastructures.

12.3 The Government will improve the educational system in the Arab, Bedouin, Druze, and Circassian sectors, as well as in the Jewish sector, and will promote traditional Arab and Druze culture.

12.4 The Government will work to create economic and social infrastructures in Arab, Bedouin, Druze, and Circassian communities equal in quality to those of Jewish communities.

12.5 The Government will work to create places of employment for the Arab sector at the highest levels of government and public service.

12.6 The Government will apprise itself of and attempt to remedy the problems of Israeli Arabs.

13.1 The Government will aim to ensure that each citizen is covered by health insurance that guarantees all necessary services for medical treatment, preventive care, and rehabilitation.

13.2 The Government will work to increase the number of hospital beds and the amount of modern medical equipment in hospitals and clinics, streamline the bureaucratic process, and shorten the waiting period for medical treatment.

13.3 The Government will work to ensure that the elderly receive appropriate medical services and ease the difficulties of geriatric care.

14.1 The Government of Israel will make environmental issues a national priority and will work to raise public awareness regarding preservation of environmental quality as an inseparable part of the country's welfare, the quality of life, and the desire to build a moral, healthy, and thriving society.

14.2 The Government of Israel will grant high priority to the preservation of the country's natural resources: water, air, land, and flora and fauna.

14.3 The Government will grant high priority to sanitation, waste recycling and sewage purification projects.

14.3 The ministries of the Government will strictly follow, to the best of their abilities, policies that preserve the green areas of the country.

15.1 a. The Government will strive to replace Mandatory legislation regarding municipal, local, and regional judicial matters with up-to-date legislation that meets the needs of local government. In the framework of this legislation, the Government will explore the possibility of granting special status to larger authorities as "independent authorities" that will be given freedom of action and a degree of economic control in certain areas.

b. In the framework of this legislation, the Government will explore granting official legal status to the Union of Local Authorities as the representative body of the local authorities in Israel.

15.2 The Government will initiate the amendment of the planning and construction laws in order to shorten and simplify planning and construction procedures. 15.3 The Government will act to create uniform criteria for municipal taxes and explore ways to reduce municipal tax rates.

15.4 The Government will act to combine local authorities in order to streamline the working of local government.

16.1 The Government will work to limit its involvement in the regulation of television advertising and the determination of funding sources for television channels.

16.2 The Government will work to ensure that the public is given a wide choice of broadcasting options, reflecting variety and pluralism in the information channels and those bodies which shape tastes, opinions, and styles.

16.3 The Government will work to establish radio stations and television channels that are geared to specific sectors of the population.

16.4 The Government will explore changes in the system of monitoring radio and television broadcasts.

16.5 The Government will examine the existing structure of public broadcasting in order to keep pace with developments in mass communication, increase the scope of locally produced material, and enrich the content of Israeli televised programs.

2.4 The Government will strive to achieve permanent peace agreements with Syria and the Palestinians based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

So much for press claims that this government is extremist, hard line, or far right. Dropping the media spin, this is no different from the Barak or Rabin governments.

3 posted on 03/10/2003 4:10:22 PM PST by rmlew ("Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.")

Israel is not a theocracy, though I wouldn't go so far to call it a secular state. Certainly, G-d has never been mentioned in any coalition or government guidelines I have ever seen.

Honestly, I think this is a good thing. I'm sorry, but I am not Orthodox, and I don't believe any one group within Judaism or any one rebbe has a pipeline to the Almightly. 70% of Israel's Jewish population is secular, and the government guidelines should reflect that while maintaining the Jewish character of the state.

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