Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Tropper and Minister of Defense and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz on Tuesday evening held a meeting with hundreds of workers from the various cultural industries, in preparation for next week’s opening of the cultural industry for those who have been vaccinated and who have recovered from COVID-19.
The meeting, which was held via Zoom, was also attended by citizens who are waiting for cultural events to return.
Gantz said, "Culture is air for the audience, and a livelihood for the various actors and stage workers. After many months - I am happy and looking forward to the start of the reopening outline as early as next week, and thank Minister Tropper for his extraordinary efforts in this matter."
"The opening of the cultural industry will bring back to work thousands of people who are engaged in the work of culture and who have not made a living for months, and no less - the consumers of culture who are begging for arts, plays and shows," he added.
Minister Tropper said, "This past year, even though we are in the shadow of the coronavirus, it was important to me all the time to tell the cultural figures, who in recent years have been a bit underestimated and abused, to tell them that they are important, that society needs them and to be proud of what they do."
"This year has been difficult and our job has always been to carry out rescue operations to keep the culture afloat. In the first significant move to reopen the economy, even though there may be a stronger lobby for the other things, the world of culture is the first to open up, as an important social statement. In the State of Israel, as of next week the crowd limit will be 20 people outside and 10 people inside, and there is a place that will allow hundreds of people together, all according to the ‘green label’ outline," he added.