PM: It’s possible there will be fines for violating Health Ministry orders

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the government may begin fining people for violating Health Ministry directives in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but that he does not want to put in place a full lockdown of the country.

The government has called for a partial shutdown, with severe limits on public gatherings, but leaving Israelis free to leave their homes and travel when necessary.

“I prefer these directives,” Netanyahu says in an interview on Channel 12 news.

The prime minister says that much of the country — but not all — has been following the Health Ministry’s instructions.

“Some in the ultra-Orthodox community and some in the ‘minority’ community are not listening to the directives,” he says, using a euphemism for Arabs.

Asked if the government is considering levying fines against those who violate these instructions, Netanyahu says “it is possible that we will.”

The interim prime minister praises Israel’s response to the virus, saying it is “leading the world,” despite harsh criticism from his political opponents, who have accused Netanyahu and his government of overreaching and overreacting.