President Reuven Rivlin addressed the nation Wednesday in light of the spike in coronavirus cases and the looming lockdown, which stands to be the second such measure in six months.
While Israel was praised for quelling the outbreak successfully when it first hit, recent weeks have seen morbidity spike, to the point of doubling every 10 days. Growing concern that the pandemic was spiraling out of control has prompted the government – after heated debates and what has been decried by the public as "gross zigzagging" – to declare a nationwide lockdown throughout the High Holidays.
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In his speech Wednesday, Rivlin urged the public to adhere to the Health Ministry's directives, warning that the country must spare no effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Once the lockdown takes effect on Friday afternoon, Israel will become the only Western country to resort to this drastic measure for a second time.
Below are Rivlin's remarks in full:
"My fellow Israelis, tonight I am speaking to you on the eve of Israel's second lockdown, and I ask you to open your heart to me and to what I have to say. I know that we, as leaders, have not done enough to be worthy of your attention. You trusted us and we have let you down.
"Tonight, I would like to say that I understand the feelings of confusion and uncertainty, and the anxiety that many of you feel. I understand and, first and foremost, want to apologize for that. On a personal level, I ask your forgiveness for my behavior during the lockdown we had at Passover," he said, referring to the fact that his daughter stayed at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.
The visit ostensibly violated government directives barring family visits during the lockdown, even during the holiday. It should be noted that this years Passover was Rivlin's first since his wife, Nechama, passed away in January.
The president noted that he "apologized for this incident in the past, and I'm doing it again today. My loneliness is no more painful than that felt by many of you, who observed the [social distancing] directives in full.
"I also ask your forgiveness today at a national level. We are about to begin the new year and are finding it hard to muster up our usual festive feeling. We have become used to living in a country that leads in every aspect of life, in a free and open society, and now find our movements are severely restricted, which is making us fight to maintain the routines that we took for granted.
"When the coronavirus crashed into our lives, we thought it would be a tough battle, but we hoped for a swift victory, so we accepted the restrictions imposed on us with understanding, despite the costs. You paid a high price, a real price. Our synagogues were closed on Passover, our mosques were closed during Ramadan, and I am still pained by the thought that our bereaved families were denied a chance to the graves of their loved ones on Memorial Day.
"We celebrated with our families under great restrictions, we mourned our dead in a way unworthy of them, we lived our lives with a painful compromise in the hope that the country and its institutions would get us through this crisis quickly," he continued.
"You, the Israeli public, deserve a safety net from your country. Decision-makers, government ministries, and policy implementers must work for you and you only – to save lives, to reduce morbidity, to salvage the economy. I understand the feeling that none of these were done satisfactorily.
"And now, my fellow Israelis, we are forced to pay the price again. It is a high price. The decision to impose another lockdown means that our ability to live together, to celebrate together, to mourn together, to pray together, to fulfill our most basic human needs. But I still hope we can hold our head high – and believe.
"Since the outbreak of the pandemic, I have gone to where the battle is being fought, meeting with our sources of strength and power, in all their glory. I met with hospital directors, nurses, doctors, and Magen David Adom [emergency services] teams; soldiers and officers, scientists and volunteers. I see their dedication and sacrifice to ensure public safety, to fight this virus. I have met those who care for you, my fellow Israelis, and they are doing everything to win this battle. I ask you – put your faith in them."
Rivlin then called on "the government – its leaders, ministers and advisors: the public's confidence is beyond value. We must do everything to restore the public's faith in state institutions and in the economy. This is a second chance and we must take it because we will not, I fear, get a third one."
Urging mutual guarantee, the president called on the public to "refrain from blaming other parts of the society as if one sector is 'responsible' for spreading the disease. Israel is blessed by its exceptional human diversity, and I believe with all my heart that it is an enormous advantage. Every group and community in our midst plays a crucial role in our combined strength and in our ability to win this battle. We will not prevail through finger pointing and toxic accusations. Only through unity."
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"We were destined to live together, to share the good years and the tough years, to build and to develop this land. When we are fighting corona, we are together – Jews and Arabs, secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox – in hospitals, schools and in charitable organizations. Together, we learn in times like this what partnership is, what mutual responsibility is, what Israeli hope is.
"My fellow Israelis, you cannot defeat the virus lone, but we cannot defeat it without you. I believe in you. I believe in our ability to prevail. I would like to ask you to believe in our ability to prevail. This is the time to follow the instructions, to take care of yourselves and those dear to you, to join hands to help those around you in need of assistance. Because we have no other country, we have no other people and we have no other way."
