Covid-19 in Israel: government divided over re-containment, minister resigns
On a bus in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 18, 2020 (Illustrative image) REUTERS / Amir Cohen
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In Israel, the plan to decree a new generalized containment to curb the Covid-19 epidemic is not successful.
In protest, a minister resigned this Sunday, September 13.
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From the start of the pandemic, Israel had closed schools and non-essential businesses, imposed the wearing of masks in public places and prohibited citizens from leaving their homes.
But
despite these strict measures
, the contamination figures in the country are increasing again.
A situation that worries the authorities to the point that they are considering
re
-
establishing a new general confinement
.
A measure that has raised tensions within the government.
This Sunday, September 13, in
protest
against the project, the leader of an ultra-Orthodox Israeli party and key ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resigned his post as minister.
Yaacov Litzman, resigning housing minister who was health minister at the start of the pandemic, accused the government of seeking to reimpose lockdown from the Jewish New Year celebrations when "
necessary
"
measures
could have, he said, be taken before.
The government must "
take the necessary decisions for Israel
"
Indeed, the government's chief medical officer, Ronni Gamzu, proposed a generalized re-containment for the Rosh Hashanah holidays, followed a week later by Yom Kippur.
"
Hundreds of thousands of Jews from all populations and from all walks of life
" will not be able to pray in synagogues during the Jewish New Year holidays, Yaacov Litzman lamented in his resignation letter.
The first outbreaks of contagion having been identified in ultra-Orthodox sectors or cities, where physical distancing measures had not or little been followed, Yaacov Litzman found himself in embarrassment.
Being both leader of the United Jewish Torah Party and Minister of Health, his duties made him the voice of the government message in these communities.
For his part, Benjamin Netanyahu said "
really regret
" the minister's decision to leave the government to regain his only deputy seat, while adding that his government must "
take the necessary decisions for Israel in these times of coronavirus
".
But this Sunday, September 13, the government had still not announced whether it was going to impose the reconfinement or not.
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(With
AFP
)
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