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PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Remarks

Israel Defense Forces

The 37th Government
02.11.2023

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, today, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, issued economic statements.\

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"We are in the midst of a campaign - a very vigorous defense in the north, exchanges of fire, and a vigorous campaign in the south. We are on the outskirts of Gaza City, and are advancing with determination. We have impressive achievements and, unfortunately, also losses. Every one of them is an entire world that is gone, and we grieve together with the families.

We are also very determined to continue achieving the goals of the war, which is toppling the Hamas regime. I must tell you that I have just come from another meeting with soldiers who were in the line of fire. Some of them went from central Israel to the Gaza Strip in less than an hour on that Saturday and fought, lost comrades, and fought like lions. You need to see the fire in their eyes. One of them told me what I have come to tell you. He said to me: 'Mr. Prime Minister, I want you to know, it was difficult for us, it will be difficult but we are not stopping.' I told him that we are not stopping and are continuing forward until victory.

This victory will entail not only a military effort but it is also related to maintaining national economic resilience. We are attentive to the public; we are committed to helping everyone. My directive is clear: Open the taps and channel funds to whoever needs them. See to everyone, just like we did during COVID. In the past decade, we have built here a very strong economy and even if the war exacts economic prices from us, as it is doing, we will pay them without hesitation.

I commend the Finance Minister and the people at his ministry, who - together with the Prime Minister's Office Director General Yossi Shelley, are working around the clock. This is a difficult effort. We will need to overcome many obstacles, cut a lot of bureaucracy, which they are doing and will do vigorously. I thank them and I also anticipate that this effort will continue."

Today, we are announcing a series of steps, some of which have already been implemented and some of which will be implemented in the coming days. I say in advance - this is only the beginning. We will defeat the enemy militarily and we will also win the economic war."

Finance Minister Smotrich:

"I echo the Prime Minister's remarks, to greatly support the soldiers and commanders at the front, who are the first line of security and resilience of the State of Israel and Israeli society. We share in the sorrow of the families of the heroes who gave their lives in defense of the people and the country.

During these weeks, we are building a secondary line and strengthening it, an economic line on the home front, for the population in the State of Israel.

Citizens of Israel, these are preliminary steps. As we said, an economic wall for the citizens of Israel exists. And as the Prime Minister said, we will win the battle, win on the home front, and maintain daily routine as much as possible during the war."