Resignation of a minister over closure: “Corona” deepens Israeli division

The resignation of the head of the United Torah Judaism bloc and the Israeli Minister of Construction and Housing, Yaakov Litzman, from his position does not necessarily mean the resignation of the government and the push for snap elections, for several reasons. The first is that Litzman’s resignation is similar to an act of protest against the government’s decision to ratify the imposition of a comprehensive shutdown during the Jewish holiday period to counteract the spread of the Corona virus in the current and next two months. . The second is that the positions of the resigned minister have a purely religious origin, taking into account that their owner is the most extreme of the haredi “Shas” movement, whose positions are characterized by a pragmatic character. In addition to the above, resignation from the government differs from resigning from the coalition, and also from joining those who seek to overthrow it, in addition to the fact that resigning from the coalition does not entail the overthrow of the government at the current stage, due to the broad parliamentary base which he enjoys.

Litzman explained the background to the resignation charge in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that “the decision to impose a complete closure on the holidays was planned out of disrespect for Israel’s holidays, in exchange for other matters that they did not dare to harm them ”, referring to this decision. Prohibition of praying in the synagogue during the holidays that begin with the Hebrew New Year on September 18 and end with “Throne Day” on October 9. On the other hand, Netanyahu expressed his regret for Litzman’s resignation, expressing his “great appreciation” for him.

In the cabinet session yesterday a climate of tension reigned, given the disagreement between ministers and professional officials.

At the same time, Israeli media reports indicated that yesterday a climate of tension reigned in the government session, given the disagreement between ministers and professional officials on the imposition of a comprehensive closure, starting next Friday morning, to face the outbreak of Corona virus. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein threatened that if the proposed general blockade was not approved, he would not present alternative plans. On the other hand, hospital directors who attended the government session assured that, contrary to the reports circulating, the hospitals are not on the brink of collapse, and that there is an exaggerated panic, so there is no need – from their point of view of sight – to close. But the report of the Military Intelligence Division in the enemy army (Aman) warned that the rate of spread of the virus is the fastest in two months, knowing that it increased during the past week, warning that the capacity of hospitals to receive patients has decreased a lot, and that there is a danger to the stability of the health system.
For his part, Finance Minister Yisrael Katz expressed his protest at the lack of consultation with experts from his ministry on the implications of the shutdown on the economic situation. The Director General of the Ministry of Finance, Kern Turner, stressed that “workplaces must be kept open in the private and commercial sectors.” The Minister of Labor and Welfare, Itzik Shmuli, for his part, expressed his opposition to the closure of kindergartens and kindergartens, while the Ministry of Education announced a plan to activate kindergartens remotely. In the same direction, the Minister of Tourism, Asaf Zamir, said that he would oppose the total closure, considering that “there is no reason to prevent the activity of hotels and close restaurants, while 20 people are allowed to gather in the garbage” .
Thus, the division in Israel is deepening between those who reject the closure due to its repercussions on the economic situation, and those who recommend it for fear of the spread of Corona. Between the two camps, Netanyahu finds himself surrounded by conflicting considerations as he heads to Washington to sign “two peace accords” with the Al-Bayda and Zayed family regimes.

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