How Israel turned COVID-19 Vaccines into a political issue - opinion

In recent days, we see that the R infection rate is going up, despite the vaccination operation.

By JPOST EDITORIAL
A MAN is helped by his son as he receives a COVID-19 vaccination at a clinic in east Jerusalem in December. (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
A MAN is helped by his son as he receives a COVID-19 vaccination at a clinic in east Jerusalem in December.
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
In his blitz of interviews these last couple of weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu couldn’t be more transparent – he wants us to talk only about the vaccines.
More specially, he wants us to talk about how he brought the vaccines into Israel. Almost every inconvenient question he’s asked, he replies with: “but what about the vaccines I brought?” Every political question is answered by: “but who else but me could have brought us so many vaccines in such a short time?”
And the truth must be said – Netanyahu did an outstanding job getting novel coronavirus vaccines to Israel. He used his experience and connections worldwide and thanks to the Health Ministry, our outstanding health funds and him, Israel is leading the charts of vaccinations per person.
However, there’s one important question that none of his interviewers asked – yes, we are leading the charts, but what’s the next phase?
In recent days, we see that the R infection rate is going up, despite the vaccination operation.
In this sense, all the talk about vaccines, and Netanyahu’s claim that only he can bring the tens of millions of vaccines Israel will need every year, is essentially asking the voters for credit. Give me credit, and you’ll see that eventually, things will be better.
From that point of view, Pfizer CEO was right to postpone his trip to Israel originally scheduled for this week. Coming to Israel just ahead of elections would have turned the visit into an election tool and that would do more harm than good. Vaccinating the public should not be used for politics. It should have nothing to do with it.
But, this is Netanyahu’s usual tactic – give me your credit, and I will annex the West Bank; or, give me your credit and I’ll change the balance between the executive branch and the courts.
The fact that the R rate is going up though illustrates how coronavirus will not be solved solely by vaccines. Another tool has been a lockdown, which government officials now say could be imposed before Passover.
On Purim – whether in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Bnei Brak – we saw firsthand that the public has had it with the government and its restrictions. The trust in the state is at the lowest point it was in years.
And this fact, Mr. Netanyahu, should worry you – and us – more than anything else.
Yes, Netanyahu is a gifted orator and diplomat. As a manager, though, he consistently fails to work with others. He succeeds when he alone gets the authority. Then, he hops over bureaucratic hurdles and takes the country forward.
However, in our democratic system, the prime minister is just part of the cabinet. The cabinet makes decisions for the country, not just one person – no matter how talented he or she might be.
Netanyahu knows this well. Numerous times over the last year, Netanyahu was stopped by the failure to muster support for what he wanted to do in the cabinet. Only after a crisis would he sit down with Blue and White and attempt to iron out their differences.
Nevertheless, Kan Reshet Bet anchor Arieh Golan went too far on Monday when comparing the way Netanyahu rules to fascism. This is not fascism; it is not even close.
Let’s not forget that neither Netanyahu nor Blue and White leader Benny Gantz won the last election. There was a tie, so they agreed to form a unity government, which was supposed to represent voters from across the political spectrum.
But instead of unity and solidarity, we see more division and distrust among and between Israel’s different groups. Haredim are suspicious of secular Israelis who are suspicious of the religious. Right fights Left and Jews are pitted against Arabs and vice versa. To truly move forward, the country needs to rally together – be it to fight COVID-19 or simply to move past this ugly phase in our political history.
Let’s hope that whoever wins this election and forms the next government – whether it’s Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett or Gideon Sa’ar – will know how to navigate the challenges Israel faces while moving the country forward.
Trust will be needed once again and one way to do that is to stop politicizing everything, including our vaccines.