TEL AVIV, September 16 (Sputnik) - Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday apologized to citizens for the re-imposed coronavirus-related lockdown in the country during a televised address.
"I know that we, the authorities, have not done enough to be worthy of your attention. You trusted us, and we let you down. Today I would like to say that I understand the feeling of confusion and uncertainty, the anxiety that many people have. I understand and above all, I want to apologize for this," Rivlin said.
The president also apologized for his own behavior during the previous lockdown, when he celebrated the Jewish Passover holiday together with his family and close friends in his Jerusalem residence.
In addition, Rivlin called on the government to work on regaining the trust of the citizens.
"This is a second chance, and we must take it, because I am afraid we will not have a third one," the president added.
Rivlin also urged Israeli citizens to comply with all the coronavirus restrictions during the lockdown that will last three weeks.
Earlier in the month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the introduction of the full lockdown starting from September 18 for three weeks coinciding with a period of Jewish holidays, as a count of COVID-19 cases in Israel continues to soar. All education facilities, gyms, swimming pools, cafes and restaurants will be closed during the lockdown.
Israel has so far confirmed over 169,000 coronavirus cases, more than 123,000 recoveries and over 1,100 related deaths.
