Peloni: PM Netanyahu discuss India, second and third Israeli airports to come, accelerated expansion of AI server farms and Quantum computing, as well as alliances beyond that with the US. In what he describes as an hexagonal system of alliances, Netanyahu is proposing a transnational block which could operate in opposition to both the radical Sunni and radical Shia blocks.
PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of Today’s Government Meeting. Screengrab via X.
PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of Today’s Government Meeting
“We have a unique and, in my opinion, historic alliance with the United States, both nation-to-nation and through my personal relationship with President Trump. This alliance does not mean that we are not seeking additional alliances; on the contrary, we are cultivating them constantly.
This week, expression will be given to the special relationship that has been forged over recent years between Israel and the global power that is India, and between myself and its leader, Prime Minister Modi. We are personal friends; we speak frequently on the phone and visit one another. I have visited India, and Modi has visited here. We waded together in the waters of the Mediterranean, and much water has flowed since then in the Mediterranean, the Ganges, and the Jordan, though less in the Jordan.
In any case, one thing has happened: The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our governments and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.
I want to say something regarding the diplomatic aspect: In the vision I see before me, we will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia that I won’t detail at the moment. I will present this in an organized manner.
The intention here is to create an axis of nations that see eye-to-eye on the reality, challenges, and goals against the radical axes, both the radical Shia axis, which we have struck very hard, and the emerging radical Sunni axis. All of these nations share a different perception, and our cooperation can yield great results and, of course, ensure our resilience and our future.
So, on Wednesday, the Prime Minister of India will arrive. He will deliver a speech at the Knesset, and I am sure you will all be there. We will also hold an innovation event in Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem together. I should also note an additional point of special cooperation: We will promote cooperation in high-tech, AI, and quantum computing.
I say AI and quantum not because they are the future, but because they are the present. We, of course, want to be among the world’s leading nations in these fields.
A week ago, we passed a decision to also promote the alternate airport in Ziklag. The ink on that decision is not even dry yet, and Minister Regev, at my request, is convening a meeting after our having concluded the moving ceremony at the Officers’ Training School, after which we traveled to Ziklag together with Almog Cohen. First of all, the Northern Negev landscapes are incredibly moving. You can see plainly that it is ready for planning and implementation. Indeed, it turns out that by cutting bureaucratic processes, we can move through planning in just half a year and proceed to issuing the tender.
We are going to make history. We are going to establish an additional airfield, while simultaneously developing Ramat David. It appears that in Ziklag, it is much faster and easier to do. We will also need to move on Ramat David and we will cut the process there as well. We want both of these airfields. We will eventually need a third one, I want it to be at sea, but for now, we are developing these two. This is a model for cutting bureaucracy and streamlining processes, which I know each of you is capable of, and I thank you for that contribution.
Today, we are bringing another important decision, the planning of a new community in the Negev, as well as another community near Kiryat Gat, designated for the Haredi population. The Haredi population is growing and is in need of housing. This is part of the ongoing and immense development momentum in the Negev. We still have much to do there, and we will do it together.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, today, at the Government meeting, on the Government decision to accelerate building an AI server farm:
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“There is great news here and a major move: A major move because, ultimately, leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and in my opinion, in quantum as well, will be a decisive factor in the continued cultivation of our power. This is a small country; it needs to possess immense power. This applies both militarily and in the ability to project power, which is the ability to move your forces. I am talking about moving military forces across the space and even the presence of your forces within that space. We will hold a separate discussion regarding the new security concept that I will present to you in the coming days. But that is one aspect.
However, it is not just about projecting or building power; it is also about gaining immense power advantages on a global scale. We must do this because we are a small and threatened country: Small in population and small in territory, but huge in spirit and in action. And we will do it. Therefore, this is an integral part of this vision. I thank you, Minister Eli Cohen, and all of you.”
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Cohen:
“Today, we are introducing a decision that will remove barriers and accelerate the processes for building data centers, which is a vital step on Israel’s path to becoming a global AI superpower. The State of Israel enjoys excellent human capital and hundreds of international companies operating within its borders. We sit at an international communications crossroads, offer very attractive energy prices, and today we are adding another tier: Removing barriers to accelerate the planning and construction procedures for server farms.
In the last three months alone, planning and establishment procedures have begun for data centers with a capacity of 1 Giga. Just to give some perspective, this represents more than 5% of the State of Israel’s energy consumption initiated in just the last three months, and there is more to come. These centers will create thousands of jobs, bring billions of dollars into the state treasury, and we will act here to assist them so they can be established quickly.
Concurrently, we are working to increase the construction of energy facilities. Our original plan was to build two power plants by the end of the decade; we will double the number of power plants under construction, including both those based on gas and those based on renewable energy.”
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