Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday evening responded to a report on Kan 11 News which revealed that he had not taken part in any meetings of the Coronavirus Cabinet.
The law stipulates that the Alternate Prime Minister, by virtue of his authority and the great responsibility he has for the decisions made, must be a member of the Coronavirus Cabinet, but Lapid decided that he does not need to attend the meetings.
The report also revealed that not only does Lapid not attend any of the Coronavirus Cabinet meetings, he also does not attend meetings related to his own Foreign Ministry.
In response, Lapid later said, “The Foreign Minister does not have to be part of the Coronavirus Cabinet discussions because it is not part of his areas of practice or expertise.”
“I saw that there was an ‘uproar’ over the fact that I was not participating in the Coronavirus Cabinet discussions. This is true. The Foreign Minister does not have to be part of the Coronavirus Cabinet discussions and it is better to have the Tourism Minister there instead of me, because the cabinet decisions have a direct impact on the tourism market.”
“Even as the Alternate Prime Minister, I do not need to be there because the current Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, is managing the coronavirus crisis in an exceptional manner. Calmly, with a balanced attitude, while listening to the professionals. While there is a sharp rise in infections and deaths all around the world, Prime Minister Bennett is the right person in the right place.”
“A cabinet is a body that makes decisions. It is desirable that it be as limited as possible and as relevant as possible.”