Following a request from Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) to the government's coronavirus project manager, Professor Ronni Gamzu, to demonstrate more sectoral equality in appointments to public positions, four new positions have been filled by Jews with a Sephardic background: Yehuda Avidan, Michael Pinchasi, Yaakov Zecharyahu, and Nissim Levy.
Deri responded to the news, stating, "I am delighted that Professor Gamzu acceded to my request. In order to defeat this epidemic, we need to appoint people who represent all the various sectors of the State of Israel."