Speeches

I believe that the State of Israel can embark on a new and promising path. 

I believe it is necessity to unite our nation's enormous inner strength. In order to do this, Israel requires different leadership and a different path.

"Leadership" and "path" are concepts that we cannot separate. The first duty of a leader is to chart a path, to present the people with a clear vision and plan of action. The second duty of a leader is to carry out that vision and plan, even if it requires going against the tide.

Today, the State of Israel is faced with three significant challenges: a global economic crisis, the continuous decline of our children's scholastic achievements, and above all, threats to our security from terrorist regimes and terrorist organizations. 

Today, I want to tell the citizens of Israel, what a government under a Likud administration would do to face these challenges, one by one.

Let's begin with the economy. From 2001-2003, there was a minor global economic crisis and a major economic crisis in Israel. Today, the situation is reversed. In the midst of a major global economic crisis, the Israeli economy is faring much better. Our economy today is in a better position than most of the world's economies.

There is a reason for our position today. During the last crisis, Likud leaders, as the economic leaders of Israel, implemented strict and accurate steps. I know that these steps were painful and also unpopular. Yet these actions were crucial to save our economy, even when we had to pay a heavy political and personal price.

Back then, "For the Good of the Nation" was not a slogan.

The steps we took to save our economy during that crisis are today a lifesaver from the global economic tsunami. Our policies created growth and reduced unemployment from 11% to almost half that amount. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis entered the job market rather than an unemployment line. We filled the State Treasury, which had a large deficit at the time. This allowed us to care for societal needs, including if necessary, to provide a safety net for citizens' pension funds. 

Let us not pride ourselves, however, on our achievements; a storm is coming and its waves have already hit the shores. Nevertheless, my colleagues and I believe that Israel can come out of this crisis stronger than before. This success depends upon the nation's leadership and its policies. 

Mr. Prime Minister, as always we will show national responsibility. As we have done with sensitive national security matters, we will support any emergency steps that are necessary to stabilize the economy until elections. After the elections, we will have to address the main problem confronting us: preventing a substantial rise in unemployment.

A few weeks ago, I visited a large factory in Nazareth Elite. Out of the few thousand workers there, 800 are working women who are mainly new immigrants (olim). They do not make much money, but they support their families honorably and take pride in their work.

Nonetheless, there was a sense of fear in the air. What will happen to the factory? Will the economic crisis bring about layoffs? There are hundreds and thousands of factories just like this one in Israel - and we are speaking about hundreds of thousands of workers that may lose their jobs and their livelihood. 

I believe that we can prevent this with a few steps that will jump-start economic growth:

1. Reducing taxes

2. Investing in infrastructure

3. Removing bureaucratic obstacles

4. Carrying out comprehensive reform in the building and planning committees to make housing less expensive and available to everyone.

Improving education will be one of the foundation stones of our administration. As we successfully brought about an economic revolution, we will begin an educational revolution.

We will provide equal opportunities to all Israeli children, Jews and non-Jews alike. Only then will all Israelis grow up capable of coping with the challenges facing them in the world. Education is the best tool for diminishing societal gaps in Israel.

We will also provide all Israeli children with an intellectual toolbox composed of the Jewish and Zionist values which bind us with one another, and to the Land of Israel. Our educational revolution will have five stages:

*Elevate the level of instruction

*Let principals manage

*Focus on core fields of study

*Provide quick assistance to low performing students

*And above all -returning national values to our education 

Our goal is to reinstate the achievements of Israeli schoolchildren to the rank of the top ten of the countries of the world. We have been there before and we can make it back there again.

The third challenge before us is security - from personal security to the local and national levels. We must fight crime and violence, which is rampant in schools, on beaches, in nightclubs and all around us.

I believe that the State of Israel, which has successfully repelled waves of terror, can also win this battle.

We will establish a community police force and increase the number of police officers, in order to bring personal security to all Israeli citizens. 

And the most important challenge of all is our national security. I do not intend to elaborate on the existential threat we face from Iran. I have warned the public about this threat for twelve years, and my opinions are well-known and clear. As Prime Minister, I will have one policy on this issue: Iran will not arm itself with nuclear weapons.

My esteemed colleagues, the policy of unilateral withdrawal has brought terror closer to our cities. We will put an end to this policy. 

The Likud Organization is a party that aspires toward peace and has brought about peace. We want peace no less than others and we will make all efforts to achieve peace. Yet history has proven time and time again that peace is achieved through strength, and not through weakness. 

Peace is achieved through a correct impression of reality and not through a false illusion.

Today, a correct impression of reality leads us to one conclusion: Any territory removed from IDF control will become occupied by Hamas. 

This is an irresponsible act that will not advance peace, but rather will create more terrorist bases for attacking us.

Therefore, our policy will focus on advancing economic peace with the Palestinians in order to build stability, prosperity and openness for peace within the Palestinian society. 

Our policy is that our security will remain with us. We will not outsource our security to a subcontractor. We will create economic projects in the zones between us and the Palestinians and we will increase regional cooperation with Jordan and Egypt. 

Economic Peace is not a substitution for political peace, but if successful, it can become the corridor that will lead to a political agreement. 

In any future political agreements, we will maintain defensible borders for the State of Israel. We will not return to the 1967 borders. The Jordan Valley, Judean Desert and Golan Heights will continue to serve as the eastern security belt for the State of Israel.

My colleagues, there are two issues that are non-negotiable. The first is admitting refugees into Israeli territory. No leader would negotiate their nation's self-destruction, and I will not do that to my nation. We will not negotiate on Jerusalem, the capital of Israel for three thousand years. I have never done this in the past, and we promise never to do so in the future. 

My esteemed colleagues, the days of a government with no vision, no direction and no achievements are reaching their end.

The citizens of Israel will soon choose between two options: Policies that have failed in Lebanon, Gaza, education policy, homeland security and almost every other area. Or, Israelis can choose policy that proved itself in the past, and will prove itself in the future. 

Twelve years ago, my administration inherited a country with waves of terror. Three years later, we returned a safe country. 

Five years ago, as Minister of Finance, I inherited an economy on the verge of collapse. My colleagues and I worked to save the Israeli economy. 

If we receive the trust of the Israeli people, I have no doubt that we will succeed again in advancing our security and economy - and also our educational system. 

My colleagues and I believe that Israel can succeed!

With the help of G-d, when we receive the people's trust, we will form a successful, strong and broad national unity government. 

Following the elections, I will call upon Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak to join us and our partners to hold hands, and with the aid of a compass and clear map, bring Israel together to a safe haven.