Health Minister Yaakov Litzman informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that he would step aside as the country forms a new government. His decision was made following a public uproar over his handling of the Coronavirus crisis and his own COVID-19 infection.
He made no mention of his much-criticized performance at the Health Ministry, which he has led for most of the past decade, and instead said he would instead take over the Construction Ministry.
In a statement, he said he “decided not to return to the Health Ministry for a fourth time, and prefers to lead a sweeping development for solving the housing crisis in Israel in the Housing Ministry.”
The government has generally been lauded for keeping the Coronavirus crisis in check. It has infected over 15,000 Israelis and killed nearly 200 people.
The restrictions on the operation of many small businesses has helped propel unemployment in Israel to over 25% since the beginning of March.
Merchants at Jerusalem’s large central Mahane Yehuda outdoor market protested its continued closure while many other businesses, including furniture giant IKEA, were allowed to reopen.
