Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday expressed his opposition to the government imposing fresh COVID-19 restrictions that could harm the economy and added that he will vote against a lockdown if his colleagues discuss the option.
"Over the last two years, we've learned what tools are effective in the battle against coronavirus — vaccines, masks, PCR testing. Restrictions did not prove themselves and lockdowns too. I will surely vote against a lockdown, but I say in advance — I will respect every decision of the government," Liberman told the Ynet studio in an interview.
"We will not leave anyone behind. Anyone who is hurt [by health measures], we will take care of them. But throwing money off a helicopter? We won't do that. We must take the economy and growth seriously. We're not going to be wasteful but also not stingy. Everything will be done responsibly and prudently. Whoever is hurt, we will compensate them."
Liberman also said that his ministry is attentive to the needs of the defense establishment and that the different branches of government have a fruitful dialogue over Israel's national security needs, namely the Iranian threat.
"There's great dialogue between the ministries, the like of which I don't remember since 1996. I think that generally speaking, we're prepared. The neighborhood we live in is no Scandinavia. We see what's happening in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and even in Libya. This is not the U.S.-Canada border here," he said.
"We're preparing for every possible scenario. The Finance Ministry provides an answer to both the requirements of the Defense Ministry and the Health Ministry. Never has the health budget jumped in one year as it has jumped this year."
The Yisrael Beitenu chief also expressed hope that the government would see out its four-and-half-year term, believing that it has the capabilities to transform the country's standard of living.
"What's important right now is to complete all the moves and I hope this government will live out its term. If we complete all four and a half years, it will become an entirely different country. We can be at the top of countries with the highest standard of living, that is our goal. We can even crack the top ten countries with the highest standard of living. We're currently sitting at 17 on the UN's Human Development Index. If we'll reach seventh place, millions of Jews would hop on a plane straight to Israel."
Liberman, a firebrand right-wing politician with a history of controversial comments regarding Israel's Arab minority, took the chance to commend his coalition partner Mansour Abbas, who heads the Islamist Ra'am party, after the latter said earlier this week that "the State of Israel is the state of the Jewish People."
"That is very admirable. Abbas has proven himself to be a brave man… His statement is really dramatic, I think it is a breakthrough in Jewish-Arab relations in the State of Israel. Well done to him," he said.