After 59 covid deaths in 24 hours, four Israeli leaders go on air

PM Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gatnz and two opposition leaders, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, delivered televised speeches Thursday night. They all agreed that the comprehensive lockdown going into effect on Friday Sept 25 up until Oct. 11 must be obeyed. The time had come to set aside animosities and focus on saving lives, they stressed, after 59 covid deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, tests showed 12pc positive, and the hospitals were suffering under the unbearable strain of nearly 700 serious cases.. Netanyahu downplayed the threat of irreparable economic damage claimed by the finance minister. He argued that the lockdown was timed to coincide with the festival season, during which there were only five business days. The prime minister said that after two weeks of full lockdown, a decision would be taken regarding another fortnight – depending on the state of the infection graph.

Ganz appealed for a united national front to fight coronavirus and called on everyone in all sectors to comply with the restrictions. “We are fighting for our lives,” he said. “We must not allow incitement {to hate one another] bring about our defeat. We are all in the same boat.”