Starting Aug. 2, almost every Israeli will receive a “coronavirus grant” deposited directly into his or her bank account in several installments. The subsidies, conceived by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in complete contradiction to the position of the Finance Ministry and to his own economic worldview, are supposed to boost consumption by those affected by the coronavirus crisis and catalyze economic recovery.
As usual, Netanyahu announced the measure in typical pompous style at a televised news conference he convened on July 15, incurring harsh criticism from almost every direction. Senior Finance Ministry officials reportedly tried to block the move, with arguments escalating to a real clash, according to some media leaks.
