Hotel occupancy data (Flash photo 90 / Moshe Shai)
The cabinet meeting held yesterday (Sunday) caused a stir following a number of statements made in the context of the tourism industry. The most dramatic remarks were made by Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who called on workers in the industry to retrain “Start changing professions, I will not give compensation.” And the Minister of Transport and Road Safety, Merav Michaeli, who claimed that “it is legitimate to sacrifice tourism.” And this morning the discourse around the tourism industry continued in the various media.
This morning, Yaniv Weinstein, a guide, was interviewed by Effi Trigger at the GLC and said there: “The government declared war on the tourism industry yesterday. Two weeks have passed since the sky closed, there has been plenty of time to transfer money to bank accounts. Want to change our profession? They will do it with a fair wage – no more forced labor. ”
Afterwards, the Minister of Finance Hemed Amar went up for an interview on the same program and said: “The statement of Finance Minister Lieberman is clear – the corona stays with us, so we should act accordingly. In 2019 there were 4.5 million tourists in the country, and today less than 200,000. Some of the guides need to retrain. ”
Minister Amar added: “We are seeing how the omicron strain is hitting Europe, the number of verified doubles every two and a half days. We are doing everything to avoid closures, so we are taking steps now. We have already managed to return to the number of workers as it was before the Corona.”
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The president of the Hotel Association, former Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, also appeared on the same broadcast: “Instead of giving up an entire industry and sacrificing it, the tourism industry needs to be strengthened. For the day when they will release the sky. ”
Nissenkorn also aired on 103FM, where he referred to Minister Michaeli’s words: “There is a social budget, and it should be earmarked for these issues. When there is an industry that is harmed, it should be helped. You do not say, ‘I leave the industry, I sacrifice it’ – this is not Government behavior. ”
Michaeli herself released a clarification last night regarding her statements: “This government is careful to keep the country and the economy open, to a routine of life with the corona. But in order to maintain our health there is no escape from certain restrictions. And as regulations hurt certain industries It must be done in parallel with the provision of appropriate assistance immediately. I argued with the Treasury in today’s discussion, and I will continue to fight for it as I have fought to date. The aviation industry has suffered and is suffering particularly severe damage. To help them immediately. “
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In the Constitution Committee, Committee Chairman Gilad Karib referred to the crisis in the industry and said: “When government measures in protecting public health harm a specific industry and the workers in it bear the burden, it is appropriate to offer government compensation. “It must not be forgotten that Israeli guides and tour guides play a key role in cultivating the connection between the State of Israel and the Jewish communities, with an emphasis on the younger generation, and will make a crucial contribution to rehabilitating the important industry in the future.”
Karib added: “Just as in times of war the government must offer compensation to business owners in the fire zones, and not call on residents to move to other places – so the government should provide a quick response to the tourism industry, and not settle for calls for vocational retraining. “For those involved in tourism – it is not possible that the government response will be given only to large businesses and hotel chains, and along the way thousands of small businesses will be neglected.”
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