Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on Monday afternoon spoke at a meeting of the Yisrael Beytenu party, promising that the decisions regarding the provision of financial aid to Israeli citizens and businesses will be made only when he is convinced that aid is actually necessary.
"Whoever is eligible receives aid," Liberman said. "The most recent example is the tourism industry. The State placed hundreds of millions at the disposal of businesses, in a responsible and fair fashion. Also with other businesses - everyone who is eligible will receive the compensation. But I will make decisions only based on financial considerations - not populist or electoral [considerations]."
"I was surprised, for example, to see the CEO of the Mashbir complain to the media about how the government is handling things and how hard things are. Before coronavirus, in 2019, the Mashbir lost 30 million, and in 2021, it gained 18 million. The chairman of the commercial industry said that 2021 was a good year."
"A tough January and February await us, but we are prepared and it's not the end of the world," he added.
When asked if he would take part in Tuesday's Coronavirus Cabinet meeting despite the high infection rate, Liberman said, "The one representing the Finance Ministry in these discussions is Minister Hamad Amar. I sometimes join. I think that our policy is one of appropriate risk management."