Yesh Atid party chairman and opposition Yair Lapid sent a letter of response to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the prime minister claimed that opposition MKs were causing harm through their statements on the coronavirus crisis.
"In recent months, the State of Israel has been struggling in the global fight against the spread of the coronavirus. In this fight, a there has been a complete failure to deal with the crisis in the health and economic aspects," Lapid accused.
“You have caused Israel to be first in the world in morbidity, leading to the collapse of the economy, and you have caused an unprecedented rupture in the public's trust in the state institutions and its leadership.
"The dangerous, arrogant and irresponsible statements of you and your immediate environment and the deep failure of the decision-making process have resulted in more than a thousand coronavirus deaths in Israel, almost a million unemployed, and over 70,000 businesses will close by the end of the year. Israel is facing the worst health and economic crisis in its history. I expect you to take responsibility, admit your failure and resign. Only in this way will we be able to maintain the health, life, and the economy in the State of Israel," Lapid concluded.
The chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, MK Avigdor Liberman, also sent a letter of response to the prime minister.
"Mr. Prime Minister, I received your letter with great astonishment. Your claims are baseless and light years away from reality.
“All decisions made by you so far are motivated by political considerations and not matters. You never bothered to convene the leaders of the opposition parties to explain the government's policy in the fight against the coronavirus and the economic crisis, because you have no policy, and therefore you cannot support something that does not exist," Liberman wrote.
"Also, if the coronavirus is not enough for us, you are spreading the virus of disorder. The government has not convened for 6 weeks, an unprecedented thing that has not happened since the establishment of the state. "Decisions are made at the last minute, including decisions on postponing the budget, opening the school year, restrictions on red cities, traveling to Uman, etc.," he added.
He said, "Instead of holding the citizens of the State of Israel hostage and leading the state to a general closure during the Tishrei holidays because you are A-F-R-A-I-D of Deri and Litzman. Transfer the treatment of the corona crisis to the IDF and the Home Front Command and immediately transfer the budget. You will have the support of Yisrael Beiteinu in these moves. "
Netanyahu had earlier written to MKs Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Lapid and Ayman Odeh, "In recent months, the State of Israel has been struggling in the global fight against the spread of the coronavirus.”
"I have seen with sorrow and concern irresponsible statements on your part that weaken and harm the unity of the public in the struggle against the coronavirus. Dangerous and irresponsible statements by public representatives can lead to non-compliance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the police - resulting in loss of life," Netanyahu claimed.
"At this time, in which we work day and night to defeat the plague, I expect you to stop these statements, take responsibility, and make it clear to the public that the guidelines must be fully complied with. Only then can we maintain health, life and the economy," the prime minister concluded.