The pressure exerted by the Ministry of Sports on the Ministry of Health to return the professional leagues to action this coming weekend, and to live up to their promise before the closure, received another boost today (Tuesday), following a letter sent yesterday from the directors of the football and basketball leagues to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This morning, Deputy Prime Minister Bnei Gantz decided to demand the return of professional sports at the cabinet meeting to be held at 1 p.m. The Ministry of Health’s demand to extend the closure for another two weeks is not expected, and if the closure is nevertheless extended, it is estimated that it will be for a shorter period of time.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Hili Trooper, who has so far won quite a few of his struggles for the return of sports, radiates optimism, and even in his office they are convinced that things will work out. Trooper managed to persuade all blue and white ministers to vote for the return of sports in the professional leagues, and delivered a complete presentation showing that elsewhere in Europe, where morbidity is higher, with fewer vaccinated than in Israel, sports continue in accordance with established procedures.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Health claims that the exclusion of sports will lead to demands from other parties to allow them to open as well. “We are not talking about too many athletes, so the hope is that the sport will return,” said a source in the Ministry of Sports. As for the National League, it seems that the struggle to continue the games there as well will be more difficult. If a compromise is proposed that will be postponed for another week as part of the games in the sub-leagues, it is expected to be accepted by the Ministry of Sports.