Gantz cancels first postelection cabinet meeting

Although vaccine purchases were at stake, Defense Minister Benny Gantz canceled Monday’s cabinet meeting over PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s refusal to name a permanent justice minister. The Treasury had sought cabinet approval for a NIS7 bn (app $2bn) allocation to purchase coronavirus vaccines for next year. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein warned that if the vaccine orders did not go through in time, they may not be available in the years go come. “Gantz is setting us back by months,” he said. Gantz argued that the absence of a permanent justice minister was detrimental to democratic rule.