Defense Minister Naftali Bennett held a press conference Monday afternoon calling for the establishment of a national system that would deal with a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic without having to close the economy again.
"A national system for testing, investigations and isolation needs to be set up and that is how to beat the coronavirus," explained Bennett, adding, "It is possible to maintain the health of Israeli citizens and to maintain the livelihood of Israeli citizens."
Bennett argued that there is a precedent for establishing such a system in countries around the world, and argued that the time window to establish it will last until the end of September.
During the briefing, Bennett said he was happy about the establishment of the unity government, but the Yamina faction would sit in the opposition, "I was very happy that a government is being formed and we are not being dragged into a fourth election campaign. Netanyahu does not want Yamina in the government. It's evident, and that's fine, we're not offended."
"How do I know? Because Netanyahu and Gantz announced the establishment of the 'Corona-Emergency Government.' The most important office in this regard is the Health Ministry, and they are fleeing from it as hard as if this office is itself an epidemic. They have been avoiding this portfolio for two weeks while they focus on more high-profile portfolios. That's not what the Corona emergency government looks like," Bennett added.
The defense minister stressed, "I am not asking for the Foreign Ministry with cocktails, and we have not asked for 3 ministers. We want influence. I would take it upon myself to do what I said with Healthcare, so that in 140 days there would be no need to ruin the economy and close the country again. I officially asked the prime minister for this, and nothing more. It seems there is someone who doesn't want Yamina in the government. That's fine. If Netanyahu doesn't want us then we won't be there."
"We can always support the prime minister if he does the right thing. If not, we will be a fighting opposition and a representative of good alternatives. We will build a model for a governing alternative, and see what an effective right is - a right that does not come to a fight but comes to act. A right that not just talks about judges, but takes action about judges. A right that does not just talk about sovereignty, but fights for sovereignty," Bennett declared.
"The Likud has chosen to send Yamina away and make us irrelevant and ineffectual. I am convinced that with this opposition configuration we can make a lot more impact, and I have no doubt that the prime minister will understand how much it reinforces him that we are a genuine opposition.
When asked about the dissolution of the right-wing bloc, Bennett responded: "I do not change my perception because I am in the opposition. We were loyal to the right-wing bloc, not to a specific person. Needless to say, what Netanyahu did - dismantling the right bloc is a conscious and legitimate decision by the prime minister. This is also true of the other partners. Once the bloc is broken, there is no bloc."