Israel’s Security Cabinet on Sunday, 11 Tammuz, gave its approval for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s proposal, to begin work on an approximately 30-kilometer (18 miles) long section of security fence along the Israel’s eastern border, from Eilat to the site designated for the Timna airport. The Security Cabinet also approved the necessary allocation of resources for building the section of fence.

The official statement says “The Government of Israel is in contact with the Government of Jordan and emphasizes that the construction of this section of security fence is being carried out on the Israeli side of the border. The fence will not, in any way, infringe on the sovereignty of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its national interests, which will be respected.

On Monday, 12 Tammuz, the prime minister released a statement pertaining to the Security Cabinet decision.

“Yesterday in the Security Cabinet, we made a very important decision to continue a section of fence along our southern border, this time from Eilat, 30 kilometers north to past the Timna airport that is under construction. This is important. It is part of our national security. It joins the fence that we built along the length of our border with Sinai, which blocked the entry of illegal migrants into Israel and – of course – the various terrorist movements. This step also joins the fence that we built on our border on the Golan Heights.

“I would like to make it clear that this fence will be entirely within the territory of the State of Israel. It will not, in any way, infringe on the sovereignty of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its national interests.

“I think that this is a very important step. I am also pleased that the members of the Security Cabinet approved the sources of financing.”

In another security matter, Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, 12 Tammuz addressed a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee. He briefed committee members on the successful Shayetet 13 commando mission, intercepting the Gaza Flotilla 3 that was heading to Israel.

Following is an excerpt from the prime minister’s remarks.

“I would like to express my appreciation to the sailors of the Israel Navy for their perfect and precise operation in stopping the ship off the coast of Gaza. This entire flotilla is hypocritical. There is no need for these small boats to deliver consumer goods or humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Since Operation Protective Edge, Israel has delivered 1.6 million tons of materials to Gaza, more than any other country, in a clear manner, as our unequivocal policy. This means almost a ton of equipment for every resident, 800 trucks a day.

“I would compare this to the cargo of this boat. Approximately 500,000 such boats laden with goods – this is what compares to what Israel has transferred. Thus, there is no need for this. Neither is there any problem, if they want to deliver humanitarian goods to Gaza, it is possible to do so via the land crossings, with Israel filtering out – of course – the possibility of transferring weapons through these crossings.

“Instead, they chose to be defiant here. They could have sailed to Syria, where over 300,000 people have been slaughtered, millions have lost their homes and millions have been exiled from their country, but they chose to demonstratively provoke the State of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, which is fighting terrorists that deliberately fire at its citizens and who intentionally hide behind Palestinian civilians.

“Therefore, this flotilla is rife with hypocrisy and I am pleased to say that its public and propaganda effect is less because people around the world are beginning to understand the lie involved here.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)