Raoul Wootliff is the The Times of Israel s political correspondent.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the interim justice minister, arrives at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem on January 4, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
The Justice Ministry is set to be left without a justice minister as of midnight Thursday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevents an appointment to the post, in a move precipitating chaos and confusion in the judiciary just days before his corruption trial is set to begin in earnest.
Blue and White party chair Benny Gantz, who also serves as defense minister, has served as interim justice minister for the past three months, but his term expires Thursday with the failure to appoint him or anybody else as permanent minister.
Adding to The Chaos Now There is No Justice Minister in Israel albawaba.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from albawaba.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Attorney General, Gantz urge Netanyahu to approve permanent justice minister timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mar. 17, 2021
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Months into its mass coronavirus vaccination campaign, Israel sees a drop in COVID infections and in the number of serious cases. Israel has reopened commerce and culture for vaccinated people, but some restrictions remain on inbound and outbound flights. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 6,053 Israelis have died of the virus.
Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have received 30,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine donated by Israel, as well as a shipment of 60,000 vaccines via the COVAX scheme. A total of 2,018 people have died of COVID in the West Bank, while 572 have died in Gaza.