As one incident chases another in the race to stem the coronavirus outbreak currently resurging in Israel, three minor events have taken place against the backdrop of the "changing of the guards" at the Health Ministry, and they reflect the government's approach to dealing with the pandemic.
The first event was Health Minister Yuli Edelstein's decision to form a designated COVID-19 task force in his office. He then went the extra mile and subordinated two very senior ministry officials – Deputy Director General Prof. Itamar Grotto and Prof. Siegal Sadetzki, director of public health and the one to head the professional aspects of the corona crisis management during its first wave – to the individual heading this special team.
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This paved the way for the second event, which saw Sadetzki shock the system by resigning, citing professional disagreements over the way the government was handling the outbreak, particularly with respect to the speed in which it was rolling back the restrictions imposed on the public since mid-March in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.
Her resignation prompted the third event, namely the formation of a so-called "shadow corona cabinet," led by MK Naftali Bennett, head of the Yamina faction.
Bennett, who served as the defense minister when the corona crisis erupted, lobbied tirelessly to have the Defense Ministry take the lead, saying that it was better prepared than the Health Ministry to handle a nationwide crisis of this nature.
He may have failed in his primary mission, but the IDF's Home Front Command was eventually called upon to assist cities across Israel deal with the crisis. Bennett's shadow task force – a civilian body – may wield no power to speak of but he has managed to form a team comprising renowned professionals in the field of crisis management, meaning it can be done.
Looking at the events unfold, especially now that Israel is in the throes of a second outbreak, raises the question of just who is making the decisions and spearheading the management of what is a national crisis with potentially catastrophic implications.
This question is more complex than it seems. Every government ministry has an emergency apparatus and now a coronavirus crisis one as well, and the same can be said for the municipalities nationwide. This type of needless bureaucracy is hardly conducive to streamlined crisis management. But given what we have been seeing so far, can the Health Ministry really lead the local government through this crisis?
Israel is no stranger to crises on both the local and national levels and both the government and local authorities are not short on contingency plans for dealing with various situations, including war, terrorism, cyberattacks, earthquakes and other natural disasters, hazardous material spills, and epidemics.
These plans, however, are hampered by excessive bureaucracy, political interests, the distrust between ministries themselves as well as between the ministries and local government, and a general lack of leadership and mismanagement of such events.
Nevertheless, these plans include calling up professionals who are at the top of their game with respect to risk assessment and management, event probability calculations, and crisis management, especially with respect to a dynamically developing situation like a global pandemic.
In the case of COVID-19, these experts – including Grotto and Sadetzki – mean to provide the government with information, projections, options, and available solutions, so that the powers that be can make an informed decision. It is unthinkable that every time we turn a corner another civilian or military entity pops up, touting its innovative ideas and impressive capabilities on how to deal with the outbreak and leaving us to pick and choose between the various professionals, procedures and ideas.
There is no doubt in my mind that the National Emergency Authority should have been managing the coronavirus crisis from day one but as that is not the case, we now find ourselves watching the National Security Council try to navigate a public health crisis. One could ask, is it any wonder we are in the grips of a second outbreak?
Israel was successful is staying ahead of the first coronavirus outbreak, which was the main reason it weathered it relatively well. The second outbreak, however, sees us not only lagging behind but chasing events as they unfold. There is no crisis management to speak of and it seems too many officials are busy bickering over who has the last word and catering to their egos rather than to the public's needs.
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There is a lesson to be learned from the coronavirus crisis and the public would be wise to study it well. In times like these, only the complete integration of authorities under the auspices of one entity will do, and this entity must have the professional support it needs, across the board, as it leads the charge.
The resurgence of COVID-19 disease in Israel is on the brink of becoming a catastrophe and we cannot leave its management to the Health Ministry alone. It is highly likely that the second wave of coronavirus won't be the last. The public should insist on the formation of a "one-stop-shop"-style body to spearhead the corona crisis management if Israel is to emerge from it safe and sound.
