Science and Technology Minister Yitzhar Shai addressed the confusion following the government's decision to immediately close all restaurants and quick repeal of that decision Sunday morning.
In an interview with Reshet Bet, Shai said that he "recognizes the pain of the restaurant owners. We in the government made a mistake when we made the decision and I apologize for the confusion and sadness this cause. In any case, the government will issue financial compensation for all damage caused by its decisions."
However, Shai said that he will stand behind the government's actions, which are meant to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus while preventing the need to impose a total lockdown on the citizens of Israel.
"If we do not take drastic measures, within three weeks we will be in full lockdown," he warned, adding that it is impossible for any decision to be backed up 100% by the science when so much still remains unknown about the coronavirus. "No one in the world can come up with a clear list of what to open and what not to."
During the interview, Shai also addressed the Likud party's efforts to remove MK Yifat Shasha-Biton as head of the Knesset Coronavirus Committee.
"We brought 11 steps to the committee and it disqualified two of them. When the committee made its decision the data was different. I will come to the committee today and try to convince its members to accept them now. There is still no consensus within the Likud on whether to vote to dismiss Shasha-Biton.