The anatomy of the chaotic coronavirus czar appointment

For five months, Israel has attempted to battle COVID-19 without an official in charge. Finally, on Wednesday night, Israelis went to bed confident that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to appoint Prof. Gabriel Barbash to the post. Medical professionals across the spectrum praised his candidacy and the public felt comfortable with him, as Barbash had become associated with the coronavirus crisis through his near-nightly commentaries on N12. But on Thursday morning, the country woke up to learn that its new coronavirus commissioner was not Barbash, but his successor, the current head of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ronni Gamzu. “Yesterday, in the late evening, the prime minister and health minister appealed to me to help with the coronavirus crisis at the national level, after the appointment of Prof. Barbash unfortunately fell through,” Gamzu wrote in a Facebook post Thursday morning. “I immediately responded in the affirmative.” Inside sources say that although there had been informal conversations with Gamzu about the position, he accepted without knowing to whom he would report or even the scope of his formal authority. Professor Gabriel Barbash (Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science) Barbash, who Gamzu had praised as the right person for the role the day before, rejected Netanyahu's offer following a battle over the mandate of the new post. “This is the right man in the right place!” Gamzu wrote. “This is the best decision the government has made since the start of the crisis.” Gamzu described Barbash as “determined,” “detail-oriented” and a person who does not take no for an answer. He said he knows how to give respect, but also how to get angry. So, what went wrong? It all started on July 6, when Health Minister Yuli Edelstein stoically rolled out new coronavirus directives – the first such restrictions since two months ago, when Israel thought it had defeated the virus. Event halls, clubs, bars, gyms, public pools and cultural performances would be closed. Restaurants would limit seating to 20 patrons inside and 30 outside. And synagogues would need to limit services to 20 people. But the new health minister sought to give the public hope. At the briefing he announced that solid management of the crisis was coming soon. He said that he would put into place an “emergency management authority,” which would be given the necessary tools to take responsibility for the pandemic and remove the oversight and implementation of testing and contact tracing from the public health services. “In the near future, I will announce my hiring choice,” he said. Tuesday, July 7: The next morning, head of public health Sigal Sadetsky stepped down, accusing the new administration in her resignation letter of frivolous, unsubstantiated and populist decision-making. Sadetsky's words were backed up by people in the know, who told The Jerusalem Post that since the new administration took over, coronavirus management has been “out of control.” At this point, the pandemic is managed by populist ministers, all advocating for their own constituents, and unwilling to take the professional recommendations of the ministry. One official told the Post that Edelstein makes threats and nobody listens. As Sadetsky's letter was making waves, the Health Ministry leaked that its top pick for coronavirus commissioner was Maj.-Gen. (Ret.) Roni Numa, who had been appointed in the first wave to lead Bnei Brak's response to the pandemic. Monday, July 13: One week later, it was understood that Numa would not be taking on the job. Israeli media reported that he turned down the offer after Health Ministry director Chezy Levy refused to grant him the authority to coordinate between the various ministries. So, once again, the public waited for Edelstein's hire. Tuesday, July 14: The country did not have to wait long. On Tuesday, Netanyahu hosted the first meeting of a new coronavirus “advisory committee,” which included former Health Ministry director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov and consultants from the fields of economics and health. At the meeting, the group was meant to evaluate potential new directives to block the increase in infections and lay the groundwork for a long-term coronavirus strategy. Wednesday, July 15: By the next day, rumors circulated that the prime minister had tapped the former director-general to manage the second wave of the pandemic. However, Bar Siman Tov declined the offer, likely because of the pressure he underwent managing the crisis during the first wave. Former director-general of the Health Ministry, Moshe Bar Simon Tov (Credit: Flash90) Thursday, July 16: Instead, the Health Ministry leaked that by Thursday afternoon, Maj.-Gen. Amir Abulafia was expected to have the role. Abulafia was apparently desired because he is a talented manager and operator, traits that were demonstrated in his role as head of the IDF Planning Department. But analysts warned that he might have struggled in the role due to his lack of political experience. Saturday, July 18: Barbash accepted the prime minister's offer in principle, and on Sunday morning the Hebrew media site N12 reported that while the official letter of appointment had not yet been signed, negotiations were in their final stages. However, it was soon revealed that there was not a consensus among top leadership on his appointment. Edelstein still wanted Abulafia; the prime minister did not agree. “Contrary to reports, the health minister is not fighting any battle over the identity of the commissioner,” the Health Ministry said in a statement. “We understand the desire to spice up news with juicy gossip. It's just a pity it is simply not true. Minister Edelstein is examining the most suitable candidates for the position.” The ministry said both Barbash and Abulafia were worthy, and a decision would be made in the coming days, with both of them having an equal opportunity. On the same day, the Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot reported that former IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Gadi Eisenkot had said he agreed to manage the country's fight but decision-makers never got back to him. “A very serious group led by Tal Russo offered it to me. They asked me: 'If they offer it to you, will you accept it?'” Eisenkot said in the interview. “I said that I was a soldier of the state for any mission. But they did not get back to me regarding the offer.” Monday, July 20: Yet another name was tossed around on Monday: Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. But this idea seemed to be quickly dismissed. Tuesday, July 21: By Tuesday, Barbash was the only man left standing and it seemed likely that he would be the country's first coronavirus commissioner. Abulafia had informed Defense Minister Benny Gantz and the IDF chief-of-staff Aviv Kochavi that he had withdrawn his candidacy to serve as the national project manager for the treatment of the coronavirus, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The general wishes Prof. Barbash complete success,” the statement read. However, a formal announcement by the prime minister about Barbash did not come out that day either, due to “negotiations over certain aspects of his role,” Israeli media reported. It was unclear whether Barbash would report to Edelstein or the coronavirus cabinet, meaning the prime minister. It was also being determined how the new commissioner would work with Levy, although Levy made it sound on KAN Radio Tuesday morning that he was eagerly awaiting for Barbash to start. “Prof. Barbash will take on the role of commissioner and will be involved in many areas that require attention 24 hours a day,” Levy told the station Tuesday morning. “He is right now working with us, studying the subject and will get involved… An extra force like him can definitely give [the battle against coronavirus] a boost.” Wednesday, July 22: The next morning, there was still no announcement about his appointment, but experts and politicians alike analyzing the choice indicated that Barbash was indeed the right man for the job. Hadassah Medical Center head Zeev Rotstein said that Barbash has “extreme academic achievements” and left Sourasky a “modern and sophisticated” hospital. MK Naftali Bennett, who himself wanted the role of coronavirus czar, praised the prime minister's choice: “Gabi Barbash's appointment is excellent. He is just the right person.” Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. But as the day dragged on, tensions rose until Barbash issued an ultimatum at around 8 p.m: Either Netanyahu and Edelstein would come to an agreement about his mandate by late Wednesday, or he would refuse the position. Senior insider sources said that the hold up in formalizing Barbash's contract was infighting between Netanyahu and Edelstein over what specific authoritative powers Barbash would have and how he would work with Levy. It does not appear that any of these questions were answered with Gamzu's appointment. In an interview with Israeli media that morning, Edelstein mocked the appointment of such a commissioner: “It's like the public is waiting for a messiah and not a project manager,” he said. According to N12, when Barbash issued his ultimatum, Edelstein picked up the phone and called Gamzu, who met with Netanyahu and Edelstein for close to two hours and then decided to accept the role. Wednesday, 11:50 p.m. Barbash announced that he had decided not to take the job. Thursday, July 23 At 12:39 a.m., Netanyahu and Edelstein announced that they had appointed Gamzu, the man who developed Israel's plan for protecting its senior living facilities from the coronavirus. “We had excellent candidates,” Prof. Eli Waxman, former chairman of the National Security Council's expert advisers committee concerning the coronavirus outbreak, told the Post. “They were all ready… to enter the system in the midst of the COVID crisis with no guarantee of success.” But in the end, none of them accept the offer for one reason: “They refused to take responsibility without authority,” Waxman said. Waxman said that we are in a war and now the question is whether Gamzu be given the weapons to properly fight it.

The anatomy of the chaotic coronavirus czar appointment

Finally, on Wednesday night, Israelis went to bed confident that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to appoint Prof. Gabriel Barbash to the post.

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