(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)  

At the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, 22 January 2012:  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"This week we will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The UN decided to mark this day at the initiative of the Israeli government and then Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, and it was an important decision.  It created an international framework for discussion of the Holocaust, certainly in several countries – for example in Europe – for which it is important to do so.

I was in the Netherlands last week and I was impressed that while this issue is being dealt with, it must be dealt with on a deeper level.  Israel has decided to mark during the same week, the struggle against anti-Semitism, a struggle which is being led by [Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs] Minister Yuli Edelstein, in new, creative and important ways.

Yad Vashem Council Chairman Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Yad Vashem Directorate Chairman Avner Shalev are here today. Their work is making waves around the world, as is the assistance in the overall struggle given by the Jewish Agency led by our friend Natan Sharansky.

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Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor addressed the United Nations Security Council on the situation in the Middle East on January 24, including the advancement of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the sanctions imposed by the US and EU. 

Amb. Prosor also addressed the necessity of Israelis and Palestinians to take “the next step toward peace together,” through direct negotiations; “Recent talks in Amman are a positive step in this regard.” … “The international community must tell the Palestinians unequivocally that unilateralism is a dead-end.”

Thank you, Mr. President.

As this is the first time that I have addressed the Security Council in the New Year, let me congratulate the five new Council members on their election. I wish each of you the best of luck in navigating the sometimes stormy debates of this hall.

As we gather in this chamber, an alarm bell is ringing. Never has it been so clear that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon. This is the single greatest threat to the security of the entire world.

Now is the time to act. Tomorrow is too late. The stakes are too high. The price of inaction is too great.

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The latest group of ORT Lipson International Studies Program students from Israel visited the Consulate this week to learn about our work here in the Southeast. Consul General Opher Aviran met with the group of nine students and three teachers from Israel to talk about the vision and challenges of the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.  "Our mission is focused on several areas including political, economic, academic and cultural," said Aviran. "All these paths are an integral part of our outreach to the communities within the Southeast," he added.

Consul General Aviran specifically spoke about being assigned to the Consulate in Atlanta.  "Atlanta is an important posting for any Israeli diplomat," Aviran said. "It is an honor to work in the birthplace of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's message is one of peace, tolerance and equal rights. This is the same message both Israel and the Jewish people believe and uphold."

The ORT Lipson International Studies Program brings students from the U.S. and Isrel together to learn about each other's cultures and their common Jewish heritage. The program offers participating students and host families experiences that demonstrate what it means to be a member of the global Jewish community. In addition to being a platform for cultural exchange, the students are offered educational opportunities that integrate Jewish identity, history, values and ethics. 

“Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.”  - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared the third Monday in January “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,” a federal holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday.This important day is designated to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of America’s greatest visionary leaders and to celebrate his life and his legacy.

Dr. King, who lived in one of the most turbulent periods in American history, dreamt of a just and equal society where all people could enjoy equal rights and opportunity regardless of their race or skin color. Dr. King was determined to continue his struggle for change despite being threatened, beaten and jailed repeatedly along the path to realizing his vision. He fought tirelessly to realize this dream.

Martin Luther King Jr. succeeded in making his dream into a reality through a long and determined campaign of nonviolent resistance. His movement led to the successful enactment of two significant civil law acts: The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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Israeli Jazz Artist Ruslan Sirota Teams up in Jackson

This week the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast hosted a reception in honor of Mississippi's new Governor Phil Bryant and all
the newly elected state legislators in Jackson, Mississippi.  In celebration of Israel's close relationship with Mississippi, the Consulate brought Israeli Grammy award winning jazz musician Ruslan Sirota to Jackson to perform with Jackson's very own Lisa Palmer and jazz vocalist Rick Coffey. This tremendous trio took the stage by storm and dazzled guests with a star performance. "I had a vision to bring to Mississippi - the birth place of blues and jazz - a great Israeli musician," said Consul General Opher Aviran.  "Monday's evening performance between Ruslan, Lisa and Rick was the first of what we hope will be a strong future of cultural collaboration between Israel and the great state of Mississippi."

IN 2010 Ruslan Sirota won the Grammy award for the "best contemporary jazz album of the year." This past October Ruslan released his first international self-titled album "Ruslan." The album features original works and guest appearances by some of the biggest names in jazz history.

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