Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon 17 Cheshvan 5774, at the Knesset, held a discussion on the issue of homefront preparedness in the event of earthquakes. Also participating in the discussion were Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich, Infrastructures Minister Silvan Shalom, Homefront Minister Gilad Erdan, Education Shai Piron, Health Minister Yael German, Deputy Interior Minister Fania Kirshenbaum, IDF Homefront Commander Major-General Eyal Eisenberg, Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Earthquake Preparedness Chairman Dr. Avi Shapira, Geophysical Institute of Israel General Manager Dr. Uri Frieslander and other officials from the relevant government ministries.

Participants were briefed on the assessments carried out by the various ministries in wake of the four recent earthquakes and on the unlikely scenario of a tsunami. In such a case, the public would be instructed to move away from the coasts. In summarizing the discussion, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that additional drills be held in the education system and that instructions to the public be updated.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)