The coronavirus crisis caught Israel with its political system at a prolonged impasse. Israel is currently ruled by an interim government endowed with limited authority, as it has been for the past 15 months, and its newly elected Knesset is barely functioning since being sworn in earlier this month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick off the mark in responding to the question of who should manage the coronavirus crisis. He surrounded himself with a team of advisers and close associates and started making decisions in what has turned into an almost one-man show. Sources well-versed in the decision-making process tell Al-Monitor that from the very start, the prime minister has been running a hub consisting of representatives from relevant government agencies, chief among them the ministries of Health and Finance.
