Israeli Minister Quits Government Over Plan for Holiday Lockdown

(Bloomberg) --

A powerful ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quit the government on Sunday over a proposal to lock down the country during the upcoming Jewish holiday season to try to contain a coronavirus outbreak.

Yaakov Litzman, housing minister from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism bloc, said the proposal reflected a “lack of values” at a time when summer holidaying and mass protests against Netanyahu were allowed to go on. The party won’t be leaving the coalition, a spokesman said.

Israel’s cabinet is to vote Sunday on an inner cabinet’s plan for a two-week lockdown expected to begin before the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, starts Friday evening. The plan was put on the table after the number of daily infections in the country of 9 million soared beyond 4,000 last week.

Netanyahu said he regretted and respected Litzman’s decision, while adding that “we have to move forward and take the necessary decisions for the state of Israel in the age of the coronavirus.”

The Finance Ministry’s chief economist estimates the planned two-week lockdown followed by a two-week period of tight restrictions would cost the economy up to 19 billion shekels ($5.5 billion).

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