ByTOBIAS SIEGAL
Israel's enemies do not care whether Israel is going to elections or not, they will continue to operate and grow and so will Israel, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in his weekly briefing on Friday.

He continued, discussing Israel's security condition and guaranteed that the IDF will know how to respond to "any threat, from nearby or far away." 

Gantz addressed a visit to the IDF's 210th Division earlier this week, located in the Golan Heights. During his visit, Gantz was taken to an observation post on the Syrian front and presented with a review of the IDF's planned strategy of action from Commander of the 210th Division Brig.-Gen. Roman Goffman.

"I toured the Golan on Tuesday. Our enemies don't mind if we are having elections or not - they continue to operate and grow, and so will we," he said.

Gantz also noted the appointment of attorney Amit Eisman to Acting State Attorney earlier this week, which he described as "an important and significant step."
 

In education, Gantz noted that "following my requests and continued involvement," teachers and the teaching personnel have started being vaccinated for coronavirus - "a critical step in allowing Israel's children to return to a normal routine after the lockdown."

In culture, Gantz mentioned Culture and Sport Minister Chili Tropper (Blue and White) who reached an agreement that will see the slow recovery of Israeli culture and arts by issuing the green passport and increasing the budget for culture events by NIS 70 million. 
On Thursday, 162 people made aliyah from Ethiopia, Gantz said, crediting Aliyah and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) and saying that 2,000 additional olim are expected by the end of the month. 

Concluding his weekly briefing, Gantz called on the Israeli public to focus on uniting. "We all see the surging unemployment; Businesses being shut down; The divided society - we all need to reach the decision to put ego aside and focus on unity. Shabbat Shalom!," Gantz wrote.