Edelstein sat with CEO and editor of Arutz Sheva Uzi Baruch at a conference at Sheva 2030 at the Design City complex in Mishor Adumim and spoke about how the government has handled the virus thus far, whether he expects another lockdown, and who he holds accountable for Israel's past lockdowns.
When Baruch asked how Israel got to a point where some Israeli citizens do not believe what the government says regarding the virus, Edelstein recommended to "listen to people who are both experts and hold responsibility, which are the Health Ministry representatives. In my opinion, people should trust the combination of professional knowledge and responsibility of the Health Ministry."
He went on to explain the logic behind extending the third lockdown over the weekend: "If we ended the lockdown on Friday morning, it would have been like Black Friday. It would be the 'Black Weekend' that we would remember forever... if I hadn't seen my family for a month, the first thing I would do on Friday is invite them over for Shabbat, and millions would do the same. Whoever doesn't keep Shabbat would drive to the beach or go on weekend trips - in short, this would lead to a jump in cases in the next two weeks, and we would have to go into yet another lockdown. There is always logic behind the scenes when we make decisions."
In response to Baruch's question about whether Edelstein predicts another lockdown, Edelstein said, "it depends on us. It depends on us as a government if we'll finally exit lockdown successfully. It needs to be understood that after the second lockdown, the Health Ministry had an organized, logical plan... after the second stage, everything broke down and the government couldn't handle the pressure. People in commerce, restaurant owners, and gym owners were fighting back. I'm not disrespecting their stressful situations. Of course, people were really in distress, but the government can't run this way just because there's pressure and it's difficult for people... that's exactly how we got to the third lockdown."
"The future is dependent on every single one of us,” the minister continued. “I don't know what I could promise with the current government - with elections in the background and the general mess that you've already seen. Therefore, much of the responsibility falls into the hands of Israel's citizens. The dangers are clear to everyone. There is not one citizen in Israel that doesn't know something who became seriously ill with coronavirus, or god forbid, passed away from coronavirus. If all of us don't stick to the guidelines... we will all suffer from it."
Edelstein also held all populations in Israel accountable, not just the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population: "There are gray areas within all the populations in Israel... When I see the Haredi weddings and funerals, trust me, I explode. I'm not trying to defend these criminals, and it's not like I understand their logic. The rabbi passed away from coronavirus, therefore there is no place for suspicion against the existence of the virus. So many people went to his funeral for what? To also get infected with the virus and also die? I don't understand it. However, I'm reiterating we've also seen parties in Hayarkon Park, in addition to other parties. They tried to sue me because I said that just as many people also get infected at New Year’s Eve parties in Tel Aviv... unfortunately, coronavirus is not anti-religious or pro-religious. It is a virus that attacks everyone."