Israel: Gila Gamliel, Likud Minister, breaks containment

In the streets of Jerusalem, October 5, 2020 (photo illustration) REUTERS

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The Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection announced on Saturday (October 3) that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

But this elected member of Likud, the party of Benyamin Netanyahu, is at the heart of a controversy, because she broke the rules of confinement.

And according to the daily Haaretz, she would have tried to cover up her offense to investigators from the Ministry of Health responsible for tracing her contacts.

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,

Guilhem Delteil

With general containment imposed just over two weeks ago, Israelis must now stay within a mile of their homes and must not sleep anywhere other than their own homes.

But for Yom Kippur, the main holiday in the Jewish calendar celebrated last Monday, the Minister of Environmental Protection visited her in-laws in Tiberias, 150 kilometers from her home in Tel Aviv.

Tested positive for the coronavirus a few days later,

according to the daily

Haaretz

, the minister would then have tried to cover up her breach of the confinement rules.

The newspaper said this Monday, October 5 that she refused for several hours to respond to the agents of the Ministry of Health responsible for identifying the people with whom she was in contact.

She then allegedly tried to steer them on a bad track, claiming to have been contaminated by her driver.

An attitude deemed "

 extraordinary 

" by the national coordinator of the fight against the coronavirus who calls for an investigation and "appropriate measures" in response. 

In a press release published on Monday, October 5, the minister admitted having made " 

an error in judgment 

" by going to Tiberias.

But beyond this offense, she claims to have respected the health rules imposed by the government.

She denies having lied to the Ministry of Health and assures that she will pay "

 the necessary fine 

".

But his response may not end the controversy: in the opposition, several voices are demanding his resignation.

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  • Israel

  • Coronavirus