
One of Israel’s top infectious disease experts on Monday expressed her frustration that a large portion of Israelis are refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, even as infection and hospitalization rates are on the rise.
“It is not acceptable to me that 1.1 million people in Israel are unvaccinated. This is a matter that must be resolved,” said Prof. Galia Rahav, head of the Infectious Disease Unit at Sheba Medical Center. In her interview with the Ynet news portal, Prof. Rahav stressed that it was now “critical” for Israel to close its vaccination gap.
“If ten days ago we had about eight [COVID-related] hospitalizations a day, we now have 23 serious patients and at least two ventilated [per day],” she added.
Prof. Rahav explained that vaccination wasn’t going to prevent infection by the Delta variant, but it would keep most of those infected from becoming seriously ill, and thus ease the strain on the healthcare system.
As such, she strongly urged Israelis over the age of 60 to get a COVID-19 booster shot, and for all children aged 12-15 to be fully vaccinated before the start of the school year.
Speaking of school, Prof. Rahav took aim at Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, who last week said it was “criminal” to set up vaccination stations in public schools. According to Prof. Rahav, that is precisely what should happen. “The Ministry of Health is in charge of public health, not the Ministry of Education, so this decision needs to be made in the Ministry of Health,” she insisted.
Prof. Rahav concluded that she knows the government is currently engaged in a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, it must curb the growing fourth wave of coronavirus, while at the same time keeping the economy as open as possible, which includes making sure schools can open at the beginning of September.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the heads of the Israel’s HMOs that he wants to see daily vaccination rates increase fivefold, and to have every eligible Israeli fully vaccinated by the end of August.
Experts warn that if this is not achieved, Israel could be facing a lockdown, or at least severe restrictions on social gatherings during the upcoming biblical festivals.
Herd Immunity is Talk of the Day in Israel

Fear of the Unknown

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

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

Empty Shops, Broken Hearts

Corona Cure: Israelis Told to Drink Russian Miracle Water

Israel Trading Medical Data for COVID Vaccine Doses

Reaping the Fruit of the Coronavirus

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

Israel Offers COVID Booster Shots to Citizens Over Age 50

Coronavirus Driving More US Jews Home to Israel

Be Thou My Vision in This Present Darkness

Corona’s Divisive Side Effects on Israeli Society

New 5 Shekel Coin Honors Corona Heroes

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

Israeli Researchers: Everyone Should Touch a Furry Robot

Omicron, Antigen, PCR – The New Normal

Vaccine Might Not Set Us Free: Growing Frustration in Israel

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

Omicron, What Now?

When Sirens Are a False Alarm

Trump Was Right, Corona Panic Overblown, Says Israeli Expert

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

Rabbi Likens Israeli Media to Nazi Newspaper

Coronavirus and the Arab Culture of Secrecy

Underground Engagement

Israel Starts Vaccinating Children; Bennett’s Son Goes First

Looking Back on a Strange Year

How Israel Beats Corona

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

Israel Looks to Take the Lead in COVID Vaccination

Muslim Extremists Exploiting Corona Crisis in Israel

Israel Cancels COVID “State of Emergency”

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

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

Israeli Breakthrough in Coronavirus Vaccine Imminent

Happy, Green and Purple

Why is Israel so Worried About Omicron?

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

Israeli Tech Protects Mexican Gyms From COVID

Divine Protection, Corona and the Bible

Tel Aviv Immunologist Criticizes Israel’s COVID Response

Corona: Israel Mulls Slow Return to Normalcy

Israel Declares War on Coronavirus

Israel Begins Vaccinating Palestinian Workers

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

A Never-Ending Shabbat

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

Bar Mitzvah Amid Corona

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

Is Israel Pfizer’s Guinea Pig?

Israel Introduces COVID “Happy Badge”

Israeli Economy Reopened Ahead of Fateful Election

Israel Foreign Ministry Reaches Out to Arab Nations

What the Bible Says to Us in Times of Corona

“Stop Quarantining Children,” Insist Israeli Doctors

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

Fighting Corona – Doing More Harm Done Than Good?

Anti-Vaxxer Teacher Forcibly Removed From Israeli Kindergarten

Israelis Protest Against “Medical Dictatorship”

Should Synagogues Open for Prayer Against Corona?

Israelis Defy Corona Lockdown Regulations

Prime Minister Netanyahu First Israeli to Receive Covid-19 Vaccination

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

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

Israelis Belatedly Appreciate Netanyahu’s Handling of Coronavirus

As Israel Eases Lockdown, Fears of Another Infection Spike

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

Small Business Owners Turn on Netanyahu Government

Israel Air Force Salutes Healthcare Workers

Bible-Believing Health Minister Makes Israelis Fume

Israeli Army: Corona Crisis to Last Another 18 Months

How Israel Enforces Coronavirus Restrictions

Mike Lindell Criticizes Israel Over COVID Vaccination Drive

Springtime! But Where is the Spring?

Freedom!

Coronavirus Vs. the Virus of Islamic Jihad

An Easter “Miracle” – Jerusalem Christians Hail COVID Vaccine

United Response to Corona Virus Attack on Jewish Communities

Lesser Known Victims of COVID: Why Israel Must Preserve Heritage

We Have Lost Proportionality

VIDEO: Israeli Army Takes on a New Mission

Israel’s Booster Shot Policy Threatens Return to School

Of Rain, Lockdowns and Redemption

Corona Conspiracy, or Media Hype?

Israel’s “Corona Guardians” Take to the Streets

A Bible Message for Times of Crisis

Bennett Slammed for “Shaming” Israelis Who Refuse COVID Vaccine

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

Pfizer CEO Wins 2022 “Jewish Nobel” Prize

Israel Struggles to Bring Home Kids Stranded by Coronavirus

Palestinians Accuse Israel of “Health Apartheid”

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

BBC Admits That Israel Not Obliged to Vaccinate Palestinians

“Back to Life” Thanks to God and Pfizer

Israel’s Top Rabbi Says We Need Messiah to Come

Enough!

Corona Visas for Evangelical Volunteers Leave Catholics Frustrated

Israel Bars Foreign Tourists Amid Omicron Fears

Netanyahu Enters Quarantine After Aide Catches Coronavirus

Israeli Startup Protects Essential UK Workers From Corona

Israel Debates Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines

Netanyahu Thought Pfizer Vaccine Would Get Him Reelected, Suggests Bourla

“Prophets of Doom” Push New Corona Restrictions for Israel

Fighting Corona Exposes Israel’s Attitude Toward Judaism

That’s It? Coronavirus is Done in Israel?

Manna, Vaccines and Everything In-Between

Israel Lifts Covid Mask Mandate

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

Most Israel Corona Infections Came From America

Tragedy

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

My Experience With the Corona Vaccine

Is Israel Doing a Good Job Fighting Corona?

Forced Vaccination in Israel – Is It Right?

Passover Beats Plague

Corona: Muslims Also Say Messiah is Coming

Seeing God’s Gifts in Times of Difficulty

Israel Freaking Out After Tourists Test Positive for Coronavirus

Living in Parallel Worlds

O Jerusalem, Will You Rise Again?

Israel Celebrates Vaccine Victory Over Corona

Will 2022 Be a Normal Year?

Balcony Prayers

Israel Urges Pfizer to Approve COVID Vaccines for Young Children

Remembering Israel’s Corona Victims, Blaming Netanyahu

Coronavirus: Israel Develops Quick Test

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

Has Israel Reached Corona Herd Immunity?

COVID: Divine Decree or Man-Made Disease?

Israel in the Queue

Israeli Military Makes Corona Cure Breakthrough

The Orthodox Scapegoat

The Middle East After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Vaccinated Israelis are In-Demand as Tourists

Finding Light in Dark Times Through Art

What Will the Middle East Look Like After Corona?

How Dare He Speak Against the Rabbi!

Vaccinated Israelis Catch Indian Variant of COVID-19

ANALYSIS: Israel, Iran and the Corona Pandemic

Israel’s Agriculture is Vital in Times of Crisis

Israeli Historian Explains Pandemics

Zionism: More Powerful Than Coronavirus

Israel Already Has the Way to Beat Corona

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

Messiah Will Come by Passover, Says Israel Health Minister

ANALYSIS: How Local Leaders in Israel Beat the Corona Pandemic

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

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

Palestinians Set Sights on Jerusalem Amid Corona Crisis

Free Breathing and Creeping Optimism

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

Coronavirus in the Eyes of Muslim Clerics

Teenage Sons Sue Father Over Corona Vaccine

Lockdown? What Was That Again?

“The homos are to blame for everything”

Israel’s Vaccination Campaign and Loving the Stranger

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

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

The Politics of Our Pandemic Problems

The Day After Corona

EXCLUSIVE: How Coronavirus Might Impact the Jewish State

First Pfizer Vaccines Arrive in Israel

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

Jews are Being Blamed for the Coronavirus

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

COVID-19 and the Possible Breakdown of National Life

My Nightmare Flight to Israel During Corona

Welcome to Israel – Come Back Later

Vaccinating Israeli Children to Help Beat the Corona-virus?

Why is Israel the Safest Place on Earth?

The Spiritual Dimension of the Corona Pandemic

Lockdown, Israel-Style

The Broadcast That Ruffled Israel’s Orthodox Jews

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

Corona-Style Passover Prayer Goes Viral

Government Tells Israelis to Stop Flying Abroad

Diminution and Abundance

A Two-Class Society?

Israel Begins Human Trials for Corona Vaccine

Third Temple is Only Cure for Coronavirus, Says Israeli Rabbi

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

Are There Jewish Prophecies About Coronavirus?

Social Distancing – It’s a Jewish Thing

ANALYSIS: Will Coronavirus Solve Israel’s Political Crisis?

Passover: Time to Move On

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

Netanyahu: Today All of Israel Deeply Mourns

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

Chinese Ambassador Found Dead

On Corona, “Israel Leads and the World Follows”

Israel Helps Christian ‘Holy Fire’ Spread Around the World

Facebook Blocks Netanyahu Chatbot

Our Behavior is Our Witness

Coronavirus is Rocking the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish World

ANALYSIS: Israel Beats the Odds, is Safest Corona Country

Can the Arab World Deal With Corona?

Relaxed Green Passport Rules Scrapped After Israelis Cheat the System

Absurd: Netanyahu Exposed to Corona by His Health Minister

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

Fully Vaccinated Woman is Israel’s First Omicron Death

Israel Versus the FDA: The Battle of the Booster Shot

Corona Hysteria is Overblown, Insist Top Israeli Experts

Report: Israeli Public Servants Can Be Fired for Refusing Vaccine

Arab Israeli Bus Driver Recovers From Coronavirus

Return of the Masks

What Coronavirus Looks Like in the Gaza Strip

Israeli Business Owners Seethe as Police Allow Mass Orthodox Funerals

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

Health Officials: End Flight Bans, Let Israelis Catch COVID

The Command to Rest

Swords Into Plowshares: Israel Missile Factory Producing Ventilators

Farmers Donate Tons of Vegetables for Passover

Israeli Song of Healing Goes Viral

Is the Corona Crisis a Convenient Excuse for Bibi?

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

Corona Doubts Creep Back Into Israel

Fear for America

Corona Shmorona

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

Challenges of Collective Action in Fighting COVID-19

Gaza Factory Making Corona Masks for Israel

Four Sisters Fight Corona

Israel Expects Aliyah Numbers to Double in 2020

The ‘Green Passport’ Could Poison Israeli Society

Israel Urges Rapid COVID Vaccination for All Teenagers

Liars! Arab Activist Defends Israel Against False Vaccine Claims

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

Israelis Divided on Vaccinating Children

Israel and the Palestinians in the Fight Against Coronavirus

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

Orthodox Disobedience and Its Effect on Israel

Israel Welcomes a New Corona Variant – Delta Plus

Israel Closes Its Skies as More COVID Mutations Enter Jewish State

The Masks Come Off

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

Working From Home is Relaxing, Sometimes

Israeli Expert: Coronavirus Isn’t Dangerous to Children!

The Epidemic and the Stumbling Block

Creativity in the Midst of Corona

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

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

The Coronavirus From a Messianic Perspective

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

Are the Prophecies About Coronavirus True?

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

In Photos: COVID Can’t Dampen Purim Spirit

Mossad Secretly Acquires 100,000 Coronavirus Test Kits for Israel

The History Behind Israel’s Vaccination Success Story

Israel Health Ministry Hints at “State of Emergency”

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

Israeli Study Insists Risk of Myocarditis From COVID Vaccine is Minimal

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

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

Meet Israel’s Frontline Heroes

Should We Fear the Second Wave of Corona?

Tour Groups Can Now Enter Israel WITHOUT Corona Booster Shot

What New Horizons Will Israel’s Third Lockdown Open?

Corona, Olympics and Ben & Jerry’s

Hamas Wields Coronavirus to Extort More Money

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

Israel Sends its Love to Italy

Alternate Reality? UN Hails Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation

In Israel Everything’s Either Scandal or Festival

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

UPDATE: On the Way to a Cure for Coronavirus?

Empty Buses and No Traffic Jams

Bats Not Behind COVID-19, Insist Israeli Biologists

Israel’s Top Rabbi Threatens Those Who Violate Corona Guidelines

The Significance of Yom Kippur During a Pandemic

Israel Vaccinates Two-Millionth Citizen Against COVID

Israel Begins Administering 4th Corona Vaccine Shot

Leading Israeli Rabbi Boots Student for Opposing COVID Vaccine

This Time I Made the Wrong Choice

“Coronavirus will reach Israel”

Prophecy — Who Needs It?

Israel Gets Its Wrist Slapped Over Dubious COVID Stats

Here’s What You Need To Do After Corona

Bennett: Patience for the Unvaccinated Israelis Has Run Out

Of Vaccines, the Temple Mount and Palestinian Intransigence

Asia’s Impact on Israel’s Coronavirus Battle

COVID Vaccine is an “Angel From God”

Vacation Days, Family Celebrations and New Corona Regulations

Palestinians: COVID is Allah’s Punishment for Ignoring Us

Israeli Professor Answers Your Questions About COVID Vaccine

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

Bennett Claims 2 Children Died in UK From Omicron Variant

Israel’s Corona Record and God

Israeli Tech Defending Buses in UK Against COVID-19

Israeli Officials Demand Recount of COVID-19 Deaths

Israeli Lawmaker Blames Fourth Corona Wave on Homosexuals and Muslims

Israel Declares End to Corona Crisis

Passover, Plagues and the God of the Hebrews

Déjà vu

Will the New Year Be Virus-Free?

The Second Lockdown

The Only Way to Beat ‘Big Brother’ in Israel

School Starts Wednesday Fraught with Anxieties

Of Vaccines, Lockdowns and the Eurovision Song Contest

Israelis Skeptical, Might Refuse COVID Vaccine

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

What Do You Do When Your Brother is in Distress?

Corona Policies Doing More Damage Than Virus, Warn Experts

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

Washington Threatens to Bar Israeli Planes From Landing in America

Coronavirus Pandemic Requires Our Creativity

The New Normal of Israel Being a Light to the Nations

Israeli Corona Greeting Goes Viral in Arab World

Report: Rabbi Ordered Israeli Health Minister to Step Down

Bring Back the Mask Mandate, Insists Israeli Expert

Israeli Lawmaker Slams ‘Deceitful’ COVID-19 Statistics

Only members can read and write comments.