PM Bennett has weighed in on the controversy within the government regarding chametz on Pesach in the country's hospitals.
"The right way to address this is not via legislation," Bennett said. "People should not be forced into doing things, but rather encouraged to show consideration. We don't need to be opening people's bags to check that there's no chametz inside. And people who are not mitzvah-observant should, of their own free will, be considerate and not bring chametz into public areas."
The controversy erupted this year when Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, who is not religious and even considered anti-religious by many, issued a directive to hospitals telling them to allow chametz in during Pesach. Coalition head MK Idit Silman (Yamina) attacked Horowitz, pointing out that at least 70 percent of the Israeli population refrains from consuming chametz on Pesach and that government ministers should be setting an example of consideration for others.