Every time Naftali Bennett appears in public, he mentions the fifth wave of the coronavirus. He puts on a somber face, displaying alarm, concern or even fear all the while citing the latest Omicron variant and its apparent rapid transmission rate, which appears to be off the charts in some countries.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
He is right to be anxious about Israel heading into another wave, but he has been less forceful when it comes to taking effective and quick measures to counter this wave, all but abandoning the policy he advocated when he was out of power. His ministerial forum to tackle the pandemic has so far been indecisive.
For example, the plan to limit entry to malls only to those fully vaccinated and to have people were bracelets to confirm their vaccination status died even before it was finalized. Likewise, the government rejected most of the Health Ministry's recommendations, including those that effectively ban travel abroad and the cap on gatherings.
The prime minister fully appreciates the degree of danger at hand, but the main problem is that he has too many cabinet members who oppose the measures he wants to pursue. Some even sound like they might very well be anti-vaxxers. Because of this situation, the government is squandering precious time in preparing for the fifth wave, and this could cost us dearly. This could result in a heavy human, economic and social toll.
As early as September, when Israel was still reeling from the fourth wave, the government's board of experts warned that the policies Bennett was pursuing were dangerous and destructive because of the large numbers of cases, deaths, and severely-ill carriers, as well as the massive number of people who had to go into quarantine.
Their sounding of the alarm back then applies just as much today, and even more so. The government must realize that although vaccines comprise the heavy artillery in this war – including the second booster – they must not be the only weapon system that gets deployed. They must not be imposed or be a substitute for sound life-saving policies or compensation mechanisms.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
