Health Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) accused MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) of “playing with fire” on Monday after he called on the public to “act in accordance with common sense and not in accordance with government guidelines.”“Liberman is acting carelessly and irresponsibly while taking advantage of a fragile health and economic situation,” Edelstein said. During his party’s faction meeting on Monday, Liberman said “we hear endless talk of closure, but what we need is order. “It is impossible that the citizens of the State of Israel should become hostages of [Interior Minister Arye] Deri, [Housing and Construction Minister Ya’acov] Litzman and [MK Moshe] Gafni,” he said. “Coronavirus cabinet decisions are not made on the basis of scientific data, nor are they transparent or logical.”Liberman accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sacrificing public health to ensure the stability of his coalition and “therefore all decisions made are blatantly illegal.”I suggest the public act in accordance with common sense and not in accordance with government guidelines,” he said.He also called on local authorities to appoint their own coronavirus commissioners to help manage the crisis. cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: ’36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b’ }).render(‘4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6’); });“The government has lost the public trust – and it does not deserve it,” Liberman concluded. “The coronavirus cabinet must be abolished.”
President Reuven Rivlin reprimanded Liberman for his remarks. “Calls for civil disobedience violate the principles that ensure our well-being, and the peace of the entire public, especially in times of crisis,” he said. “Dealing with the coronavirus is all of our struggle – together. “Leaders – opposition and coalition – please be careful what you say,” he concluded.
Later, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz told his Blue and White faction in response to Liberman’s comments that, “I hear politicians say not to adhere to decisions and I call upon them to safeguard the public and not themselves. I hear those making irresponsible declarations for political reasons.”
Gantz added: “The public is looking at us, at our conflicts and our ego struggles, and they expect us to put aside our personal interests and deal with the coronavirus.” Deri, who himself voted against lockdowns on red cities, also responded: “Let there be no misunderstandings, we are committed to keeping all the directives and guidelines down to the tiniest comma.”
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