"On Monday we will make a decision," wrote Netanyahu on Facebook. "This will be determined according to data and not stronghandedly or on a whim. We are at war, a difficult war against the coronavirus."
On Wednesday, Netanyahu and Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz clashed during a coronavirus cabinet meeting, as the prime minister called for a stronger lockdown. Gantz stressed that the government needs to focus on convincing the public to follow the regulations, not make the regulations stricter.
“We’re driving the public crazy,” warned Gantz after Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz called to restrict the exit from homes to 100 or 200 meters.
“You will not tell me what we are driving crazy or not,” Netanyahu shouted at Gantz. “If the lockdown is not working, it is not working.”Tzvi Joffre, Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, Jeremy Sharon and Eve Young contributed to this report.