Within hours of his return from addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received an update Wednesday (Sept. 29) from the CEOs of Maccabi Healthcare Services, Clalit Health Services, Leumit Health Care Services and Meuhedet Health Services, on the national coronavirus vaccination effort and the anticipated increase in shots in the coming days.
Health Ministry Director General Prof, Nachman Ash, national coronavirus project manager Prof. Salman Zarka and GOC Home Front Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin also participated in the conversation.
Bennett instructed that efforts be focused on stepping up the vaccination campaign among the Arab public, given that the rate of inoculations in Arab communities and in eastern Jerusalem is especially low.
The prime minister underlined in his remarks that the policy of the government is to keep the country open and the economy functioning as much as possible.
“The key is increasing the rate of vaccinations among all sectors of society, alongside large-scale testing and uncompromising enforcement of the Green Pass,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in New York prior to boarding the flight home to Israel, Bennett noted that according to the data, the 40 “reddest” communities in Israel are from the Arab sector; more than 90 percent of those hospitalized in serious condition were not vaccinated.
“Therefore, despite the pressures, we are – at this stage – refraining from imposing sweeping restrictions on the entire population,” he said.
“Look, shutting down a Shlomo Artzi concert in Rishon LeZion or a wedding in Modi’in will not help the public in Taibeh or the residents of Um Al-Fahm to reduce morbidity. What will help is our going to Umm al-Fahm, going to the Arab sector, and persuading them, our going with campaigns, centers and stations; and we are doing so.
“In general, we will try to avoid actions with low effectiveness and high collateral damage,” Bennett said.
“It must be understood, the significance of such sweeping actions is the immediate loss of thousands of jobs for the citizens of the State of Israel; therefore, we will continue with the policy of Israel and the economy being as open as possible.”