Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning 21 Sivan 5773, attended a meeting of the Emergency Economy Committee to summarize this week’s home front drill and made the following remarks at the start of the meeting:

“We are deep in the era of missiles that are aimed at civilian population areas. Operation Pillar of Defense is a small example of the substantial changes in modes of attack. We must prepare defensively and offensively for the new era of warfare. The State of Israel is the most threatened state in the world. Around us are tens of thousands of missiles and rockets that could hit our home front. Defensive preparations, first of all, mean preparing the spirit of the nation to be steadfast in order to allow the military to strike the enemy that wants to destroy us. It is important to maintain functional continuity in the home front that is under fire. The Israeli homefront is more accessible to the enemy than it has been. Defense requires both materials and many resources and this demands a change in our national order of priorities, including legislative changes.”

Homefront Defense Minister Gilad Erdan said, “It is the responsibility of government ministries to work together and see to it that the vital enterprises under their purview continue to operate even in emergencies in order to create functional continuity in time of emergency.”

Homefront Defense Ministry Director-General Gabi Ofir said, “The drill scenarios are not detached from current reality. This drill has been adapted for a reality that could happen.”

The Emergency Economy Committee, led by Minister Erdan, is composed of the director-generals of all government ministries, as well as representatives of other organizations. Its goal is to evaluate and ensure the functional continuity of the economy and government ministries in times of emergency.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)