Speaking at Sunday's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emphasized the serious threat posed to Israel by Iran. Netanyahu said that “all of Israel's homefront security concerns are tiny compare to the threat from Iran. Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons.” Netanyahu added that he had spoken with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon over the weekend and asked him not to visit Tehran, as he is planning to do. “I told Ban that he cannot give legitimacy to the Iranian government's desire to destroy Israel. We will continue to stress and emphasize this absurdity,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu and other ministers used the occasion of the meeting to bid farewell to Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i, who is going on to become Israel's ambassador to China.