Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will rule whether to launch a criminal investigation against Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel, who allegedly flouted coronavirus regulations and withheld information from health authorities, after police handed its findings to the Justice Ministry on Tuesday.
Gamliel reportedly traveled to Tiberias on Yom Kippur, some 150 kilometers (95 miles) away from her Tel Aviv home, despite Israelis being prohibited from venturing more than one kilometer (0.6 miles) away from home.
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Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel and the synagogue in Tiberias
(Photo: Avihu Shapira, Avi Moalem)
The Likud minister also allegedly flouted restrictions on religious activities - that prohibit civilians from participating in public prayer services farther than one kilometer from their place of residence - and prayed at a synagogue in the northern town where her father-in-law serves as rabbi.
At least eight worshipers from all over Israel have contracted coronavirus at the synagogue in Tiberias, including Gamliel.
It is now incumbent upon Attorney General Mandelblit to decide whether to launch a probe into the incident. Gamliel's role as minister and member of Knesset affords her parliamentary immunity, however, because her offense had no connection to her duties as a public servant, Mandelblit can rule to revoke her non-prosecution privilege.
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The synagogue in Tiberias in which minister Gamliel allegedly prayed on Yom Kippur
(Photo: Avihu Shapira)
Health Ministry epidemiological investigators reportedly tried to reach the minister for hours without success Sunday morning. Investigators finally got a hold of Gamliel in the afternoon and she allegedly gave them partial details, some of which were falsified.
Talking to investigators, Gamliel pointed to her chauffeur, who had also contracted coronavirus, as a potential source for her infection.
Gamliel's husband and another relative have also contracted the pathogen despite not coming in contact with the chauffeur, which raised the investigators' suspicion. She also failed to mention traveling to Tiberias or visiting the synagogue.
Investigators held another conversation with Gamliel four hours later where she admitted to participating in prayer service at a "family synagogue" but failed again to mention it was located in Tiberias.
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Protesters demanding Gamliel's resignation in front of her Tel Aviv home
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
She ultimately gave investigators a full account of her whereabouts and provided them with details of some ten people who stayed at the synagogue with her.
Gamliel insisted on Monday that she had not broken coronavirus lockdown regulations when she and her family traveled from their Tel Aviv home to Tiberias.
The minister then issued an apology to the Israeli people for what she called a "lapse of judgment," and said she would readily pay the fine she incurred.
"I acted within the confines of the lockdown in order to continue my day-to-day public activities and combine it with being a mother to small girls,” said Gamliel. “I understand that during this time, it is very important to preserve the public's trust in government guidelines, it was a lapse of judgment and there was room to act differently. I wish to apologize to the public and say that I will pay the required fine."
Dozens protested Monday evening in front of Gamliel's residence in northern Tel Aviv and demanded her resignation.