Deri: ‘We’re Losing The Children, We’re Losing An Entire Generation’s Education’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — As the coronavirus cases and number of sick people have dropped sharply in Israel, government ministers continue to discuss frameworks which would allow a return of different elements of the economy to normal without seeing yet another spike in COVID-19 cases.

The health ministry wishes to go from stage to stage based on health parameters and not dates. It demands a break of 14 days between each stage in opening the economy in order to evaluate the situation. The ministers also discussed how many different stages would be required and how the issue of education will be resolved.

A number of ministers asked for leniencies to begin from Thursday. Finance Minister Yisrael Katz requested a permit to open small businesses, Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen requested opening vacation houses, Transport Minister Regev requested opening hairdressers and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri asked to solve the issue of weddings.

Deri also attacked Health Minister Yuri Edelstein, stating that “there’s a demonstration planned after Shabbat with 20,000 people attending, will we see you opposing that? Edelstein responded by saying that “If we allow a few leniencies at weddings, the Arabs will celebrate without any restrictions.”

Deri also attacked National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat at the cabinet meeting regarding the subject of education and the difference between the Chareidi position and the government’s view: “we are losing the children, the children are losing their education, suffering serious setbacks, not meeting friends, not studying, we’re losing an entire generation’s education. What’s the problem for teachers to take kids for two hours to an open area? Education is a primary value, what about the child’s soul? It will be three or four months until the children can learn properly!”

The ministers agreed that the Health Ministry should address all of the issues they had raised in a formal manner.