Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was absent for most of the government meeting on Sunday, according to a report by Kan.
The report cited multiple senior officials who were present at the meeting as witnesses, who said that after making his opening statement at the beginning of the meeting, Netanyahu turned off his camera and microphone, and was not present during the deliberations at the meeting.
The meeting began a short time after the end of a hearing in Netanyahu’s trial. This led some ministers to speculate whether there was a connection between Netanyahu’s sudden absence and the trial, or whether he was busy with personal matters.
Sources close to the prime minister, however, rejected the suggestion he was busy with personal matters, saying Netanyahu was discussing issues related to the coronavirus crisis. They added that Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and National Security Council chief Meir Ben-Shabbat met with Netanyahu at the time.