Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu today considered taking significant steps against Minister Gila Gamliel for violating coronavirus guidelines, but decided to wait.
News commentator Amit Segal wrote that Netanyahu in any case does not intend to dismiss the Minister, nor will she resign on her own initiative.
At the beginning of the Coronavirus Cabinet meeting, the prime minister referred to the affair and said, "We're all committed to following the rules. This includes all representatives of the public - ministers and Knesset Members. In Minister Gamliel's case, I suggest waiting with the conclusions until the examination taking place at the Health Ministry is completed. It's better to act according to data and examination and not according to initial reports and here I suggest to wait, very soon we'll get the full picture "
Minister Gamliel apologized for her actions and claimed that she did not violate guidelines: "I acted within the limits of the closure to continue my day-to-day public activities, and in light of being a mother to small girls, and my desire to combine the two. I understand that in this period, when it's very important to maintain public confidence in government guidelines, there was room to act differently. I apologize to the public, and declare that I will pay the required fine."
The Minister's office said that "before the closure, the Minister and her husband made a family decision to be in Tiberias. This is what they do throughout the year and on holidays. The stay in the apartment was in accordance with the guidelines." According to Gamliel, she prayed according to the outline published by the government and she did wear a face mask.
The Health Ministry said the Minister cooperated with the epidemiological investigation conducted in her case.
"The purpose of any epidemiological inquiry is to identify potential contacts that may infect and endanger other people, and to isolate them. Any information that is not related to locating contacts is not relevant to the investigation, and is not documented as part of the investigation.
"Minister Gamliel's investigation has ended. The Minister cooperated with the investigation and all the close contacts were instructed to go into isolation," the Health Ministry.