Israel's Netanyahu orders schools closed, calls for unity gov't

Record ID: 1463419

  • Title: Israel's Netanyahu orders schools closed, calls for unity gov't
  • Date: 12th March 2020
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (MARCH 12, 2020) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU APPROACHING PODIUM SIGN READING IN HEBREW AND ENGLISH: 'STATE OF ISRAEL, PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE' (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "We are shutting down the schools and universities. We told you yesterday that we were considering this, we are doing this with consideration, during endless but focused discussions, and this is our decision." ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER (LEFT) AND HEALTH MINISTER (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "I said yesterday, that in other crises what we did was acting against an exterior threat and doing the best we could to preserve the internal routine. In this crisis we are working precisely in the opposite direction. We are altering our internal routine in order to handle an outside threat, the threat of the virus." MEDIA CREWS (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAYING: "I call for the formation of a similar government now, tonight, national emergency government. Without hesitations, without delays. It will be an emergency government for a limited time, and together we will fight to save the lives of tens of thousands of citizens. We must put politics aside, later there will be time to return exactly to the point we are in (politically)." MORE OF NETANYAHU TALKING
  • Embargoed: 26th March 2020 20:01
  • Keywords: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu coronavirus education system schools
  • Location: JERUSALEM
  • City: JERUSALEM
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C4R4PC7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (March 12) ordered most schools in the country closed as a precaution against coronavirus and called for the formation of an emergency national unity government.
    The latest measures follow a series of ever-stricter restrictions imposed by Israel and the Palestinians.
    Netanyahu in broadcast remarks said, "We are altering our internal routine in order to handle an outside threat, the threat of the virus."
    Primary and secondary schools, with some exceptions like special education programs, will be closed, he said.
    The right-wing leader, who's tenure is still in doubt after an inconclusive election earlier this month, also called for the formation of an emergency national unity government.
    "It will be an emergency government for a limited time, and together we will fight to save the lives of tens of thousands of citizens," Netanyahu said.
    Neither Netanyahu nor his centrist rival Benny Gantz command a clear majority in parliament after the March 2 ballot, the country's third in less than a year.
    (Production: Dedi Hayun, Rinat Harash)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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