The heated debate in the cabinet continues at this time as well, with many ministers demanding the opening of trade on the street, but the Ministry of Health opposes • Economy Minister Peretz: "Rami Levy is much more crowded than shops" • Finance Minister Katz: For retirees: The clubs will open on Sunday
A discussion into the night in the Corona cabinet, when the issue of opening the shops on the street divides the cabinet members.
While Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and senior Ministry of Health officials oppose the resumption of street trading in the current round of easing, many ministers are pushing to resume trade activities.
Photo: GPO
The prime minister has proposed, among other things, to open the trade opening a week earlier, so that it will start on Sunday in a week and not in two weeks.
However, Finance Minister Israel Katz rejected the compromise and demanded that the stores resume operations as early as next week.
Katz even spoke with the prime minister and told him "the Ministry of Health is acting opaque and waging a prestigious struggle on the backs of the tiny dealers, who have opened a ten-finger business and are now on the verge of collapse."
This is the second meeting of the Corona Cabinet today, after no agreements were reached in the morning regarding commercial activity.
Minister of Economy and Industry Amir Peretz joined the demand to open trade in street shops.
"I do not understand how to this day the Ministry of Health has not presented to us the impact of marketing centers like Rami Levy and others, because precisely because of the fact that only they are open - the density is greater," Peretz said.
Peretz demanded at the meeting that the closed businesses be given a full exemption from property taxes, as was the case in the first closure.
He said: "It is not possible that in the first closure the businesses that were closed received a full exemption from property taxes, while in the second closure, when we know that the business situation is worse - we do not do that.
Business owners are protesting
About 100 business owners and shops in south Tel Aviv protested today on Jaffa Street in the city, demanding the removal of restrictions on trade activities in the fight against the corona, against the background of a cabinet meeting held yesterday on trade.
As part of the demonstration, the protesters demanded that the government allow them to operate their businesses under the restrictions of the purple mark.
The demonstrators also set fire to tires and goods at several points and blocked the Jaffa Road for traffic.
Meanwhile, good news from the Corona Cabinet went out to the retirees tonight: the ministers acceded to the request of the Minister for Social Equality and Retirees, MK Meirav Cohen, and approved the opening of all clubs providing social services to the veteran population.