1. The Deputy Director of the ISA briefed ministers on current Palestinian-related security matters.  A discussion followed.
 
2. Transportation and Road Safety Minister Shaul Mofaz and the Director of the National Road Safety Authority (http://tinyurl.com/yzlc4x) briefed ministers on the implementation of the 2007 plan to fight against traffic accidents and on the main points of the 2008 plan.
 
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert commented on the weekend’s horrific road accident involving the Kavanov family (http://tinyurl.com/3cqbzg and http://tinyurl.com/2udfec) and noted that there have been 40 traffic fatalities since the start of the month.  He added that NIS 550 million has been budgeted for the fight against road accidents.
 
3. Education Minister Yuli Tamir and Education Ministry Director-General Shmuel Abuav briefed ministers on the opening of the 2007-2008 academic year.  Prime Minister Olmert noted the Government’s, “major investment,” in education as well as the implementation of the, “highly significant,” reform plan led by Minister Tamir and himself, which – inter alia – “doubled teachers’ salaries,” and increased classroom hours.
 
4. Prime Minister Olmert hailed recent Central Bureau of Statistics data on the economy (http://tinyurl.com/2r8h5r & http://tinyurl.com/2gg9vc).  
 
5. The Cabinet discussed and approved structural changes in Mekorot (http://www.mekorot.co.il/mekorot/).   
 
6. The Cabinet amended its 22.4.07 decision (http://tinyurl.com/2t4289) on encouraging employment in national priority regions.   See http://tinyurl.com/2a6xzz for details.
 
7. Pursuant to Article 18 of Basic Law: The President of the State (http://tinyurl.com/ywatb), the Cabinet approved President Shimon Peres’s 5-9.9.07 official visits to Italy and the Vatican.