COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccineiStock

Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Hezi Levi confirmed Sunday morning that the Pfizer pharmaceutical giant has stopped the delivery of coronavirus vaccines to Israel.

According to Prof. Levy, Pfizer is expected to resume supplies only after the government convenes and approves the new vaccine procurement agreements.

The cabinet meeting at which the agreement to purchase vaccines from Pfizer was supposed to be approved was not convened due to opposition from the Blue and White Party and its leader, Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

The Blue and White party has conditioned the meeting on the approval of Gantz's permanent appointment as justice minister, an appointment that the Likud opposes, after Gantz's term as interim justice minister expired last week, and the ministry, like other ministries, was left without an incumbent minister.

The Likud rejected the Attorney General's demand to appoint ministers with permanent appointments to ministries, arguing that in the aftermath of the recent election, there is no reason to appoint permanent ministers who will likely be replaced soon when the next government is formed.