
Israel’s official coronavirus advisory panel on Wednesday took the government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to task for what it called a “dangerous” approach to curbing the current fourth wave of COVID-19 infections.
An unnamed government official then fired back in remarks to Channel 12 by accusing the panel, and in particular Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health services, of being unreliable and having an “agenda.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, the panel of experts told Bennett’s cabinet that the present policies for combating high infection rates in Israel were not working, and that a change of course was required.
Israel has been logging over 8,000 new coronavirus infections daily for over a month. But the government has focused its attention on the number of people hospitalized in serious condition, which has remained relatively stable. Bennett has at the same time been aggressively pushing the line that administering a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot to the general public will bring the crisis to an end.
The experts on Wednesday disagreed.
“The approach of relying only on the booster (3rd dose) with a minimum of restrictions on the economy has so far not proven itself,” they warned in remarks carried by Channel 12.
Their recommendation is that the government immediately do what it should have months ago, namely reimpose certain restrictions on the public, such as limiting the size of gatherings. They were also in favor of canceling the “Green Passport” of any vaccinated Israeli who has not taken the booster shot, something Bennett has already said he would do from October 1.
Bennett’s government, for its part, has been doing everything possible not to reimpose social restrictions or to harm the economy, despite rising infection rates. As such, the government’s reaction to the advisory panel’s criticism was harsh.
An unnamed senior government official who spoke to Channel 12 called the panel “prophets of doom,” and singled out Dr. Alroy-Preis: “Her conduct has crossed every line. She enjoys sowing panic in the media. The cabinet ministers do not regard her as competent. She has an agenda and is unprofessional.”
Many, however, have likewise accused Bennett and his cabinet of having an agenda in regards to its handling of the present crisis.
When the new government took over from former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it inherited a situation in which Israel’s infection rate had dropped almost to zero. But this came at a cost. Netanyahu did impose severe social restrictions, including several nationwide lockdowns, which Bennett at the time slammed as reckless and short-sighted.
Given this backdrop, it is politically risky, if not impossible, for Bennett to now adopt an approach that in any way mirrors that of Netanyahu, the experts be damned.
Report: Israeli Public Servants Can Be Fired for Refusing Vaccine

Finding Light in Dark Times Through Art

Leading Israeli Rabbi Boots Student for Opposing COVID Vaccine

Empty Buses and No Traffic Jams

Springtime! But Where is the Spring?

Gaza Factory Making Corona Masks for Israel

Israel Air Force Salutes Healthcare Workers

UPDATE: On the Way to a Cure for Coronavirus?

“Unacceptable that 1 million Israelis are unvaccinated!”

Coronavirus Vs. the Virus of Islamic Jihad

Israeli Economy Reopened Ahead of Fateful Election

Coronavirus in the Eyes of Muslim Clerics

“The homos are to blame for everything”

Response to Messianic Claims That the Corona Vaccine is a Plot of Satan

Asia’s Impact on Israel’s Coronavirus Battle

Israel Closes Its Skies as More COVID Mutations Enter Jewish State

Be Thou My Vision in This Present Darkness

Israel ‘Not Worried’ About New Corona Outbreak as Purim, Passover Festivals Loom

Vacation Days, Family Celebrations and New Corona Regulations

Of Rain, Lockdowns and Redemption

We Have Lost Proportionality

The New Normal of Israel Being a Light to the Nations

Out and About in Tel Aviv: A City Under Lockdown?

An Easter “Miracle” – Jerusalem Christians Hail COVID Vaccine

In Photos: COVID Can’t Dampen Purim Spirit

Is the Corona Crisis a Convenient Excuse for Bibi?

Passover Beats Plague

Arab Israeli Bus Driver Recovers From Coronavirus

Tour Groups Can Now Enter Israel WITHOUT Corona Booster Shot

Meet Israel’s Frontline Heroes

Muslim Extremists Exploiting Corona Crisis in Israel

Are There Jewish Prophecies About Coronavirus?

Watch: Jewish Settlers Sing Psalm 54, Seek God’s Salvation

Israel Won’t Reach Herd Immunity, COVID Isn’t Going Away

That’s It? Coronavirus is Done in Israel?

VIDEO: Saluting Israel’s Medical Teams as They Fight Coronavirus

Not So Fast! Top Immunologist Says Israel Shouldn’t Rush Fourth Corona Shot

Underground Engagement

Israel Declares War on Coronavirus

Should We Fear the Second Wave of Corona?

The Masks Come Off

Should Jews Pray for Trump’s Recovery From COVID-19?

Israeli Lawmaker Blames Fourth Corona Wave on Homosexuals and Muslims

Israeli Hospital Won’t Wait on FDA, Will Start COVID-19 Vaccinations

Corona, Olympics and Ben & Jerry’s

Israel’s Agriculture is Vital in Times of Crisis

Child Vaccinations Top Israeli Headlines, Cause Reported Gov’t Rift

Prime Minister Netanyahu First Israeli to Receive Covid-19 Vaccination

Bennett Slammed for “Shaming” Israelis Who Refuse COVID Vaccine

Hospital Director Says He Won’t Take “Immoral” COVID Booster Shot

Washington Threatens to Bar Israeli Planes From Landing in America

First Pfizer Vaccines Arrive in Israel

Absurd: Netanyahu Exposed to Corona by His Health Minister

Israel Lifts Covid Mask Mandate

The Command to Rest

Tel Aviv Immunologist Criticizes Israel’s COVID Response

Mike Lindell Criticizes Israel Over COVID Vaccination Drive

Will 2022 Be a Normal Year?

Thinking of Visiting Israel This Summer? Here’s What You Need to Know

Israelis Defy Corona Lockdown Regulations

Israeli Doctors Want to Add COVID-19 Vaccine to Regular Children’s Vaccine Regimen

Israeli Doctor: Pfizer Vaccine Didn’t Stop 4th Corona Wave

Corona Fear: Netanyahu Refuses to Shake Hands at Jewish Holy Site

United Response to Corona Virus Attack on Jewish Communities

Diminution and Abundance

How Israel Enforces Coronavirus Restrictions

Israeli Lawmaker Slams ‘Deceitful’ COVID-19 Statistics

Did Corona Restrictions, Vaccines Weaken Our Immune Systems? Israel Investigates

Israel’s Top Rabbi Threatens Those Who Violate Corona Guidelines

Bar Mitzvah Amid Corona

Israel Begins Administering COVID Booster Shots to Seniors, But Will It Work?

Israeli Army: Corona Crisis to Last Another 18 Months

Jews are Being Blamed for the Coronavirus

What the Bible Says to Us in Times of Corona

As COVID ‘Super Variant’ Enters Israel, Officials Warn of ‘Emergency Situation’

Social Distancing – It’s a Jewish Thing

Lockdown, Israel-Style

Why is Israel so Worried About Omicron?

Israel Health Ministry Hints at “State of Emergency”

Return of the Masks

Coronavirus Pandemic Requires Our Creativity

Israel Starts Vaccinating Children; Bennett’s Son Goes First

Herd Immunity is Talk of the Day in Israel

The Politics of Our Pandemic Problems

Manna, Vaccines and Everything In-Between

Fighting Corona Exposes Israel’s Attitude Toward Judaism

Israel Versus the FDA: The Battle of the Booster Shot

Israeli Startup Protects Essential UK Workers From Corona

Government Tells Israelis to Stop Flying Abroad

ANALYSIS: Corona, Israel and the World – Apocalypse Now?

Are the Prophecies About Coronavirus True?

Israel Urges Pfizer to Approve COVID Vaccines for Young Children

Seeing God’s Gifts in Times of Difficulty

Want to Beat Corona? Then Go Outside, Say Israeli Scientists

ANALYSIS: Israel vs the Arabs. Who’s Handling Corona Better?

The Day After Corona

Israel in the Queue

Passover: Time to Move On

Israel Helps Christian ‘Holy Fire’ Spread Around the World

ANALYSIS: Israel Beats the Odds, is Safest Corona Country

The Broadcast That Ruffled Israel’s Orthodox Jews

Vaccinated Israelis are In-Demand as Tourists

Israelis Skeptical, Might Refuse COVID Vaccine

Israel Debates Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines

Coronavirus Driving More US Jews Home to Israel

Why is Israel Still Giving COVID Boosters if the WHO Said to Stop?

Tel Aviv “Vaccine Bar” Offers a Shot for a Shot

Dramatic Jump in COVID Infection Rate in Israel: Nearly 4,000 in One Day

My Nightmare Flight to Israel During Corona

What Will the Middle East Look Like After Corona?

Mark Your Calendar! COVID Vaccine No Longer Required to Enter Israel!

Israeli Song of Healing Goes Viral

Four Sisters Fight Corona

The Spiritual Dimension of the Corona Pandemic

Lesser Known Victims of COVID: Why Israel Must Preserve Heritage

Why is Israel the Safest Place on Earth?

Trump Was Right, Corona Panic Overblown, Says Israeli Expert

Of Vaccines, the Temple Mount and Palestinian Intransigence

Corona Hysteria is Overblown, Insist Top Israeli Experts

ANALYSIS: Will Coronavirus Solve Israel’s Political Crisis?

Has Israel Reached Corona Herd Immunity?

Poll: Israelis Pleased With Netanyahu’s Handling of Corona Crisis

Israel Trading Medical Data for COVID Vaccine Doses

The Epidemic and the Stumbling Block

Messiah Will Come by Passover, Says Israel Health Minister

VIDEO: Israeli Army Takes on a New Mission

BBC Admits That Israel Not Obliged to Vaccinate Palestinians

Corona Policies Doing More Damage Than Virus, Warn Experts

School Starts Wednesday Fraught with Anxieties

Forced Vaccination in Israel – Is It Right?

Enough!

Corona Visas for Evangelical Volunteers Leave Catholics Frustrated

Fear of the Unknown

Israeli Breakthrough in Coronavirus Vaccine Imminent

What New Horizons Will Israel’s Third Lockdown Open?

Farmers Donate Tons of Vegetables for Passover

The End of the World – Might Not Be What You’re Thinking

If There are COVID Treatments and Cures, Why Worry About “Vaccines”?

Israeli Corona Greeting Goes Viral in Arab World

Israel Bars Foreign Tourists Amid Omicron Fears

“My Wife is Going to Kill Me,” Bennett Tells Cabinet

Bennett: Patience for the Unvaccinated Israelis Has Run Out

“You see the shame in their eyes” – Israel’s heartbreaking economic epidemic

Omicron, What Now?

Israel Begins Human Trials for Corona Vaccine

Empty Shops, Broken Hearts

Lockdown? What Was That Again?

Freedom!

My Experience With the Corona Vaccine

Anti-Vaxxer Teacher Forcibly Removed From Israeli Kindergarten

Israel Celebrates Vaccine Victory Over Corona

Israel Expects Aliyah Numbers to Double in 2020

Israel Struggles to Bring Home Kids Stranded by Coronavirus

Israelis Belatedly Appreciate Netanyahu’s Handling of Coronavirus

The Coronavirus From a Messianic Perspective

Mossad Secretly Acquires 100,000 Coronavirus Test Kits for Israel

Corona: Muslims Also Say Messiah is Coming

Israel Freaking Out After Tourists Test Positive for Coronavirus

The Second Lockdown

Palestinians: COVID is Allah’s Punishment for Ignoring Us

Report: Rabbi Ordered Israeli Health Minister to Step Down

“Back to Life” Thanks to God and Pfizer

Small Business Owners Turn on Netanyahu Government

Is Israel Doing a Good Job Fighting Corona?

Israel’s “Haredi Ninja” Dies of COVID-19

What Coronavirus Looks Like in the Gaza Strip

Teenage Sons Sue Father Over Corona Vaccine

A Two-Class Society?

Israel and the Palestinians in the Fight Against Coronavirus

WHO “Disgusted” by COVID Vaccine Policies of Israel, Other Wealthy Nations

The Significance of Yom Kippur During a Pandemic

Palestinians Set Sights on Jerusalem Amid Corona Crisis

Fear for America

Fully Vaccinated Woman is Israel’s First Omicron Death

Report: Israel Came Very Close to Feared Vaccine “Dictatorship”

Israel Gets Its Wrist Slapped Over Dubious COVID Stats

Israeli Historian Explains Pandemics

Bennett Claims 2 Children Died in UK From Omicron Variant

Israeli Tech Defending Buses in UK Against COVID-19

Israel’s Booster Shot Policy Threatens Return to School

Hamas Wields Coronavirus to Extort More Money

EXCLUSIVE: How Coronavirus Might Impact the Jewish State

Israeli Military Makes Corona Cure Breakthrough

Israeli Researchers: Everyone Should Touch a Furry Robot

Survey: Over 200,000 Israelis Infected With COVID-19

This Time I Made the Wrong Choice

Looking Back on a Strange Year

Of Vaccines, Lockdowns and the Eurovision Song Contest

Corona Doubts Creep Back Into Israel

COVID Vaccine is an “Angel From God”

Israelis Protest Against “Medical Dictatorship”

Corona-Style Passover Prayer Goes Viral

The History Behind Israel’s Vaccination Success Story

A Delayed Government, Messianic Jewish TV, and Beating COVID-19

The Orthodox Scapegoat

Relaxed Green Passport Rules Scrapped After Israelis Cheat the System

Vaccinating Israeli Children to Help Beat the Corona-virus?

Once a Role Model, Israel is Now a COVID Cautionary Tale

As Israel Eases Lockdown, Fears of Another Infection Spike

Orthodox Disobedience and Its Effect on Israel

Corona Shmorona

Netanyahu: Today All of Israel Deeply Mourns

WHO Official: Israel a ‘Trailblazer’ by Giving Early COVID Booster Shots

How the Corona Virus and Multiple Lockdowns changed the DNA of the local Messianic Congregation

Netanyahu Thought Pfizer Vaccine Would Get Him Reelected, Suggests Bourla

Israel Has “No Control” of Corona Pandemic? Or Has It “Lost Control”?

Corona’s Divisive Side Effects on Israeli Society

Health Officials: End Flight Bans, Let Israelis Catch COVID

Israel Begins Vaccinating Palestinian Workers

1 Million Israelis Infected, 10,000 Dead by End of April, Warns Bibi

Israel Cancels COVID “State of Emergency”

The Middle East After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Why is Israel Now Struggling Again with the Spread of Covid?

How Israel Beats Corona

Coronavirus and the Arab Culture of Secrecy

Reaping the Fruit of the Coronavirus

Free Breathing and Creeping Optimism

Can the Arab World Deal With Corona?

Israelis Divided on Vaccinating Children

Bats Not Behind COVID-19, Insist Israeli Biologists

COVID-19 and the Possible Breakdown of National Life

Facebook Blocks Netanyahu Chatbot

When Sirens Are a False Alarm

Vaccine Might Not Set Us Free: Growing Frustration in Israel

Will the New Year Be Virus-Free?

“Stop Quarantining Children,” Insist Israeli Doctors

Netanyahu Enters Quarantine After Aide Catches Coronavirus

Should Synagogues Open for Prayer Against Corona?

“Coronavirus will reach Israel”

Israel Introduces COVID “Happy Badge”

Israel Looks to Take the Lead in COVID Vaccination

Too Many COVID Infections? Stop Getting Tested, Suggests IDF Commander

Creativity in the Midst of Corona

Israelis Protest Against COVID Vaccine, So-Called “Green Passport”

Balcony Prayers

O Jerusalem, Will You Rise Again?

Déjà vu

The Only Way to Beat ‘Big Brother’ in Israel

Prophecy — Who Needs It?

Bring Back the Mask Mandate, Insists Israeli Expert

Third Temple is Only Cure for Coronavirus, Says Israeli Rabbi

Zionism: More Powerful Than Coronavirus

Israel Vaccinates Two-Millionth Citizen Against COVID

Palestinians Accuse Israel of “Health Apartheid”

Challenges of Collective Action in Fighting COVID-19

Israel Begins Administering 4th Corona Vaccine Shot

Our Behavior is Our Witness

Swords Into Plowshares: Israel Missile Factory Producing Ventilators

New 5 Shekel Coin Honors Corona Heroes

Israel’s Top Rabbi Says We Need Messiah to Come

Is Israel Pfizer’s Guinea Pig?

Pfizer CEO Wins 2022 “Jewish Nobel” Prize

In Israel Everything’s Either Scandal or Festival

Israeli Officials Demand Recount of COVID-19 Deaths

Bible-Believing Health Minister Makes Israelis Fume

Israeli Study Insists Risk of Myocarditis From COVID Vaccine is Minimal

Omicron, Antigen, PCR – The New Normal

Coronavirus: Israel Develops Quick Test

Report: Bennett Wants Israeli Parents to Shame One Another Into Vaccinating Kids

ANALYSIS: Israel, Iran and the Corona Pandemic

Israeli Tech Protects Mexican Gyms From COVID

Israeli Business Owners Seethe as Police Allow Mass Orthodox Funerals

A Never-Ending Shabbat

Happy, Green and Purple

Fauci to Israel: You Did the Right Thing, US Also Needs Booster Shot

Israel Offers COVID Booster Shots to Citizens Over Age 50

The ‘Green Passport’ Could Poison Israeli Society

What Do You Do When Your Brother is in Distress?

Coronavirus is Rocking the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish World

Israel’s “Corona Guardians” Take to the Streets

On Corona, “Israel Leads and the World Follows”

As Nations Yo-Yo Over Omicron, Israel Charges Ahead With 4th Jab

Now Let’s Be Honest: An Open Letter From Our Editor

Vaccinated Israelis Catch Indian Variant of COVID-19

Corona Conspiracy, or Media Hype?

ANALYSIS: Is This the End of the World (as We Know It)?

Israel Sends its Love to Italy

Almost 20% of Israel’s COVID Deaths are Holocaust Survivors

Israeli Professor Answers Your Questions About COVID Vaccine

Israel’s Vaccination Campaign and Loving the Stranger

Israel Holds COVID-19 ‘War Game’ to Prepare for Next Outbreak

How Dare He Speak Against the Rabbi!

Rabbi Likens Israeli Media to Nazi Newspaper

Israel’s Corona Record and God

Israel Welcomes a New Corona Variant – Delta Plus

Israel Foreign Ministry Reaches Out to Arab Nations

COVID: Divine Decree or Man-Made Disease?

COVID Vaccines at School? Uproar in Israel Over Controversial Inoculation Scheme

UPDATE: Is Pfizer Vaccine to Blame for Israel’s High COVID Infection Rate?

Divine Protection, Corona and the Bible

Israel Urges Rapid COVID Vaccination for All Teenagers

Remembering Israel’s Corona Victims, Blaming Netanyahu

Fighting Corona – Doing More Harm Done Than Good?

ANALYSIS: How Local Leaders in Israel Beat the Corona Pandemic

Tragedy

Most Israel Corona Infections Came From America

Welcome to Israel – Come Back Later

Israel’s Multi-Front Battle: Fighting Coronavirus and Spies at Home

Chinese Ambassador Found Dead

Liars! Arab Activist Defends Israel Against False Vaccine Claims

Israel Already Has the Way to Beat Corona

Passover, Plagues and the God of the Hebrews

Corona Cure: Israelis Told to Drink Russian Miracle Water

Living in Parallel Worlds

Here’s What You Need To Do After Corona

A Bible Message for Times of Crisis

Israel Declares End to Corona Crisis

Corona: Israel Mulls Slow Return to Normalcy

Alternate Reality? UN Hails Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

Israeli Expert: Coronavirus Isn’t Dangerous to Children!

Working From Home is Relaxing, Sometimes

Only members can read and write comments.