Earlier this week Israel closed their borders to foreign nationals in response to the COVID-19 omicron variant. The country was open for just 4 weeks to foreign nationals who had a vaccine in the past 6 months, after being closed since March 2020.
Prime Minister Bennett asked Israelis not to leave the country.
Yesterday the news broke that Prime Minister Bennett’s wife Gilat and their children would be going on vacation abroad this week.
Rules for thee, but not for me is a problem that has plagued politicians and their families across the globe.
Israeli media reports now include the “Gilat Effect” when posting rumors such as the “possibility of abolishing the mandatory 3 day quarantine restrictions tonight for fully vaccinated Israelis returning from abroad.”
אפקט גילת: אומרים שהערב תבוטל חובת הבידוד של 3 ימים למחוסנים (תו ירוק). @globesnews pic.twitter.com/H3B3eg2LgJ
— michal raz chaimovitz (@gotomichal) December 2, 2021
And now Israir is joining in the fun, inviting Israelis to “join the Prime Minister’s family in flying abroad” with “flights to various destinations through March from just $149.”
It comes days after Israel forced visitors that were coming to pay a shiva call to a terror victim’s family back onto a plane back home over Shabbos. Dov Lipman said that he reached to the highest levels of the government and couldn’t get an exemption for them to stay in Israel for Shabbos without being arrested. He said that other countries would have found a solution for them to avoid violating the Sabbath. And that was despite the passengers departing from South Africa before Israel closed their borders to South Africans!
The Beth Din of South Africa wrote to Prime Minister Bennett to decry the unconscionable decision to force the visitors to violate Shabbos and fly home, calling it a violation of the values of any state, let alone a Jewish state. Egregious actions like these are causing Israel to lose the hearts and minds of Diaspora Jews.
Israel markets itself as a homeland to the Jewish people, but hasn’t had qualms locking out diaspora Jews for nearly 2 years now.
That has meant countless families that haven’t been able to see each other in years. We were visiting Israel annually, where we have immediate family, before COVID, but it has been impossible to do so for the past 2 years. My in-laws had tickets to visit Israel next week to see their grandkids for the first time in more than 2 years, but were forced to cancel.
I love Israel, but at this point it feels like a slap across the face and politicians there have consistently dropped the ball on this issue.
MK Simcha Rothman drove this point home and asked that Israel allow in anyone eligible under the law of return. There is no scientific reason why people from abroad can’t undergo the same entry process as Israelis.
Yes, Israel needs to keep its citizens safe. But they can also do what most countries are doing, requiring adults to be vaccinated and tested before they visit. Israel can even verify vaccine status by requiring antibody testing before exiting quarantine.
The Jerusalem Post asked last month if Israel harmed its ties with Diaspora Jews by closing their doors. I daresay the answer is yes, and that’s a tragedy in and of itself.
Obviously this is a controversial topic, but Israel gets tough love because it’s so beloved by Diaspora Jewry. What do you think of Israel’s COVID entry rules and does it change your relationship with the country?
Sounds like your starting to come around on the corona virus from all your recent posts
Actually, I think I’ve had the same logic since day 1, but feel free to explain.
oh yes. until now a lot of this was only discriminating or inconveniencing the *gasp* unvaccinated and mask skeptic crazies. Missile wasn’t hitting home by him directly yet. That was ok. he told them you don’t like it don’t fly. it’s a free country… now it affects even him and his vaccinated untermenchen who jumped through all the nonsense hoops so it’s time to protest…. Dan lost my respect through this last year+. Still very good deals.
It’s affected us since day 1. We cancelled several trips to see relatives in Israel.
There was a period of time when we were waiting for vaccines that we hoped would end the pandemic. And I was OK waiting for that.
Now that we know that COVID isn’t going anywhere and is likely endemic, I fail to understand what we are still waiting for. It’s past time to move on.
I was mixing in your stances generally on covid rules and domestic travel policies, not just relating to Israel travel specifically.
If I was you several months ago I would throw the total official worldwide or US wide covid death toll at you now and say “almost 1 million dead Americans might disagree”
But indeed it is past time to move on. We agree there. Just vehemently disagree on when it was past time to move on.
No idea what rules and domestic policies you’re referring to. Please post links to what I said in the past if you’d like to debate it.
Dan the Logician for Prime Minister (of Israel), actually.
Do you hate me? 😉 😀
It’s a promotion from being President of the USA. You don’t compete with taxi drivers here in the US.
I totally disagree with you on this issue! Just as when it comes to a kidnapped Israeli citizen or attacks, Israel puts more value on every human life more then any other country. That should be commended! If savings lives will stop people’s enjoyments or even conviences, kolhakovid! Continue in the path of smart people like fauci and coumos that put life ahead of dollars and fun!
if only they did.
the drive for vaccination of children has nothing to do with human life. the contrary if anything. current proposed legislation pro abortion, also isn’t about protecting human life.
Let’s not give the secular atheists too much credit
Well put
It seems that you haven’t heard what Ben Gurion said by the Holocaust:
That he would prefer to give up on half of Europe’s Jews to be able to build the country.
Smart people like Fauci and Cuomo’s!!!! HAHAHA
Could be the dumbest comment I’vr ever read!
How is death rate in NY vs rest of US?
Covid is never going away, if you choose to live in a hole, more power to you. but don’t force the rest of the world with non scientific scared opinion!
There’s no limiting principle to what you’re saying. By your logic we should just ban cars because many people die in car accidents.
HA
closing the country that has a finite amount of resources and NO HELP from the surrounding countries is a sociopolitical medical decision that I wont argue against though we had family members scheduled to fly and now can’t. How many people have to die to justify people coming to visit. Yes people still DIE from covid and no one knows how bad, or not Omicron will be. Pikuach Nefesh requires stringency.
To have your family go abroad while you are telling others knot to is the height of chutzpah and I question his integrity and ability to lead going forward given his obvious lack of ethics
Explain how people coming in means greater risk of death etc if the virus is already there ? Vaccinated people should be given the freedom to travel
Are you mad? Would you allow people into your house to eat at your Shabbos table on the smach that they assured you they’re not carrying anything into your house? It’s already proven that previous infection and/or vax DOES NOT stop the spread.
If you’re really so gong ho on Eretz Yisroel – come and make aliya!
So why do you need to get vaccinated?
They were given the ability to travel in! Then Israel had to re-close the border when the Omicron strand came out,
You can still go to Israel, check out amudim.org/travel where they write out all the rules on how to obtain a visa.
I would have loved to visit, had one all planned out for last summer to bring my wifes parents who have never been there. at this point I have no real interest in the hassle of trying to go and that is just sad, I dont feel like the government cares about diaspora jews, not too mention the money they are losing from ppl like us are a killer for the economy there
They don’t mind losing the money, but I feel like they aren’t properly factoring in the emotional aspect of the closure.
You just nailed it Dan. Couldn’t agree more!
Even if the relationship is ruined, in what way would that have a tangible effect?
I think the main factor that the Israeli government is missing, is lumping all “foreign nationals” as tourists. Many of us have children that are students and live there, and even more feel a personal connection and used to come regularly. The fact that everyone is treated like a Chinese or Japanese tourist is offensive.
Not to mention those that own apartments in Israel. Is someone who owns an apartment and pays taxes on it a “tourist”?
I suspect that Israel knows more about COVID than the rest of us. They were at the front of the line for the Pfizer vaccine and have always been borderline panicky. Closing their borders hurts themselves too so there’s clearly more to the story than you and I know today.
And I suspect that Israel has a bigger “EGO” then the rest of us!!!
(And a bit of ADHD (for those who have seen their rules changing by the minute))
I don’t think they have done better controlling Covid cases/ deaths per capita then many US states but correct me if I am wrong. Also I think if they knew something for the past 18 months that made them close the border we would know it by now, don’t you?
@Yitz – asked and answered:
cases per million deaths per million Country
—————————————————————
148,967 2,416 USA
144,185 879 Israel
source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
So, yes, Israel has had more cases per million than the US, but only 1/3 the number of deaths.
Israel’s population is over 9 million, about 6 million Jews – so there are perhaps as many as 13,000 Jews alive today who might have died if the situation in Israel was more like the US.
The numbers in the US for states with large Jewish populations are horrific:
CA – 1,896 deaths per million
NY – 2,992
FL – 2,869
No one knows if the travel restrictions saved all those lives – I would guess the vaccine and relatively high-quality health-care in EY are more important factors. But the lives saved are very real, and of infinite value.
We pray everyday for an Eretz Yisroel with Mochiach in charge. For the end of the State of Israel with all the Kefirah, Chilul Shabbos and insanity associated with it.
Amen! May the anti-Semitic government fall ASAP!
Amen!!
Put your body where your mouth is. Move here and try to improve it. Every vote counts.
+1
This is beyond ridiculous, the rate of hospitalization for people who catch covid is small and the rate of people dying is way less.
It’s time to move one and get back to life.
There will forever be new variants, heck the good old cold is technically a variant.
Like every respiratory disease once it cycles through 4-5 times it’s essentially over.
why don’t you try citing a source for your ‘facts?’ Rhinoviruses have little to do with Corona, and the hospitalization numbers are terrible for high-risk groups like the elderly and cancer patients. Why do you hate bubbie and zaydie so much?
so you agree that children aren’t at risk? why are they still being forced to mask?
@steve agree!!!! Time to cut the bs…and stop with “rules for thee but not for me”…. time for everyone to wake up…..
That’s actually the problem
Because you like Israel all this evil things happen.
If you would live and believe like a real Torah Jew that the Jews are not allowed to have their own state till משיח will come, you will think differently
And yes we pray every day that their government should collapse that the long awaited day should come swiftly.
The state exists. It protects our brothers and sisters. So, no. I won’t pray for that.
I believe in a G-d strong enough to bring Mashiach whether or not there is a Jewish state in Israel. And that is what I will focus my prayers on.
Dream on!
Praying for the collapse of the government of whatever country you may live in is very anti Torah . It is stated in pirkey avos that one should pray for the government because with out we would eat each other alive .. This is a loose translation…
Only as long as the government is not Anti-Torah.
Don’t forget that the Chashmonaim also went against their government.
So you don’t like the fact that there are thousands of mosdos, kollelim, schools, shuls etc etc in this secular Jewish state. You’d rather have…. Uh yes, nothing. Because if you had your way it would be another Arab coubtry in the region which we all know meams Juden frei.
Kol hakavod. So much better.
Not a single one of the Arab countries in the region were “Juden frei” before the establishment of the State of Israel. That only happened as a result of the establishment of the state.
You’re blaming the Jews for Arab anti-Semitism? Isn’t that like saying it’s the Jews’ fault they were killed in the Crusades/Holocaust, because they shouldn’t have been living in Europe?
Read the Zionists archives. You’ll be shocked to see how much the Zionists are to blame for not saving the European Jews. I can provide you with sources.
It’s not a coincidence that the same yidden who are anti the state of Israel are also the ones who suckle at the teet of government and others while contributing nothing to society. At their core, they’re uneducated, ungrateful and entitled people.
Not a coincidence that you’re spewing medieval undiluted anti-Semitic garbage, after all that’s precisely what Theodor Herzl and your other heroes did and taught.
I think you should check your lineage. No ben Avraham thinks like that.
Not sure why your post wasn’t flagged for anti-semitism. You should get help.
Good to know we have a Mityavni commenting here. I’m sure the Maccabees would be happy with your Antiouchus-esque remark. Stop trying to push your heretical ebli8efs on what you think is a “real Torah Jew” despite scriptural and hsitorical evidence to the contrary. Hope you enjoyed your Chanukah in Sparta and May G-d have mercy on your soul.
Dear hater care to explain! which Jews are you referring to exactly? That was probably the most anti Semitic thing I’ve seen in weeks. Jews in general contribute way more to society in the outside world and if you’re talking about people that are learning then you’re a koifer win thinks Torah doesn’t affect the word. You’re an embarrassment. Please respond.
So it’s anti-Semitic for someone to criticize ultra orthodox Jews who hope for the destruction of secular Jews? Does anti-semitism only apply to hate towards religious Jews and not secular Jews? Why don’t you criticize the person who prays for the downfall of people who make significant sacrifices that religious people receive great benefit from? Your one sided view of the issue proves my point – uneducated, ungrateful and entitled.
He did not hope for the destruction of secular Jews but for the ceased Zionist rule over our holy land. That’s not Anti-Semitism in any way, but your repeated garbage is, but that’s no wonder. You read Herzl’s diaries, you study the Zionist movement historically, they were the epitome of anti-Semitism, they were disgusted by the authentic Golus yid in the worst ways, just like you. Herzl’s initial solution to uproot the worst of humanity in his warped views was to convert them all to Christianity, and when that failed, he turned to a more defile idea-Zionism.
Hater of freeloading…
Don’t use the word yidden in the same paragraph where you spew anti Semitic propaganda like that. Anyone with such venom for yidden should not be pretending to be with them
I’m not the one praying for a people’s downfall. That’s true venom.
Not for the people’s downfall, only for the movement. you can’ t compare.
As a diaspora Jew, I could not agree more with every word in this article, sadly.
There’s a little sanity left. Sadly, there’s less honesty. I live here. Live. Love. But sad to see how corrupt it is.
Very sad.
Not enough Western Jews here. So the ones in power get to take advantage of the Middle Eastern mentality. It’s so patently obvious to me as a recent Oleh. Shocking how they still get away with it.
Would love to hear more about your experiences. Considering sharing on the DansDeals Forums?
Dan you say that they’re harming their ties with diaspora Jews but at the end of the day they basically have a monopoly on that. Jews will still go back to visit family and holy sites. How many times do you have to beg readers to explore other parts of the world outside of Israel? It will make people annoyed but we’ll still keep going back. ::Shrug::
It’s not just about visiting. It’s about what you think about the state. It’s about people reconsidering making aliya based on the state cutting off families for years with no end in sight, all while the PMs family goes on vacation abroad. Etc.
I have immediate family in EY. These travel restrictions push me towards making aliya, just so I can see them whenever I want. I have nothing good to say about the PM taking vacation abroad, so I will say nothing. 🙂
I personally don’t like Bennet, but honestly speaking, one cannot necessarily be blamed for his family’s actions, they might not agree to everything ha says. He might not have Shalom Bayis.
Countries that pay medical insurance for its citizens shut down to save $$$$$. New Zealand, Australia, UK, Israel, Canada. It is all about dollars and cents (definitely not sense).
My husband is supposed to go to Israel with my son to pick up his tefilin in a couple of months, he has a lot of family living there but will not get stressed to go on what is supposed to be a pleasure trip.
If it doesn’t work, my son will go somewhere else with his father and create those memories.
We are in diaspora and await mosiach. When that happens we will all be welcome in the Holy Land.
Why don’t you have the tefillin shipped?
To the hater
If someone is going against the torah that is anti Semitic being that Judaism is a religion based on the Torah. If a country is constantly being anti religious (which is not up for debate as the evidence is endless) and someone prays for its downfall that doesn’t make them anti Semitic, they’re standing up for the foundation of Judaism! You can argue they are misguided but to say they are anti Semitic and to spew Nazi propaganda level venom against them in response is anti Semitic. You clearly have an extreme hate for religious people. You’re attempt at excusing yourself is laughable. It’s bad enough the world is largely against Jews we shouldn’t have to deal with other self hating Jews’ hate as well. Good shabbos
I sort of agree with hater here. Hoping for the destruction of Israel is a despicable thing. You can disagree with Israel’s politics, but wanting it to be destroyed is the equivalent of hoping for the deaths of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Jews. Yet somehow that can be twisted into not being anti semitic because the government does things that are not religious? I’m sorry, but such an attitude is disgusting and would rightfully foment hate against the religious. We need to be better than this.
You misunderstood.
Nobody and I mean NOBODY is waiting for the death of people, only for the government’s downfall in a safe way.
Hater. No-one’s praying for a people’s downfall that was a low arguing tactic. Don’t take things out of context.
@Dan
Isn’t there there some sort of check you do b4 the posts get posted?
Why are we seeing these hate filled messages going through the supposed vetting process?
Too many people get offended when they’re moderated and way too many have been harassing me for silencing them. Easier to just let most dumb comments through and let people call them out.
glad you woke up to this 🙂
It stinks either way. And it’s why many blogs and sites are eliminating comments.
TO ACTUALLY PRACTICAL
The point I was trying to make which you may have missed was that Mr hater of freeloading was spewing anti Semitism and rationalized that by saying someone else was also anti Semitic. Mr hater who literally used the word hate in his user name came across venomous. The other guy while may be misguided was not hoping for death of Jews or anything of the sort rather the anti religious government to be removed thereby halting the blatant anti Torah laws and disgrace of Judaism. Btw I hope you are not agreeing with hater rather disagreeing with the person that prays for the country’s downfall. If you are agreeing with his anti religious post you have no business calling out your ‘fellow’ religious people to be better.
The saddest thing is that people believe that they convince anyone of anything here lol. The passion… so noble lol
What is most fascinating about this whole situation is that those who believed that the State of Israel was “Hitchalta D’Geula” are really getting a taste of reality, what with Geirus reform, the egalitarian Kosel section, and Covid travel bans. As we say every Yom Tov, “Ki Sa’avir Memsheles Zadon Min Ha’Aretz.” Additionally, to paint anyone anti-Zionist as some “from the river to the sea…” anti-Semite is so classic. Torah-true Yidden don’t want to kill fellow Jews; we just hate to see people so anti Torah values controlling the Holy Land and claiming to represent Jewry around the world.
Just commenting on the border being closed:
What do you expect Israel to do? Open its borders and have Covid spread like wildfire?
They did have the borders (mostly) open for a few weeks, but recently had to make the rules stricter again with the new variant that’s going around.
Amudim.org/travel has all updates on the travel rules, and while it’s difficult to get in, they have helped thousands obtain visas for emergency situations.
I would add that in for your readers, just so those who do need to head over for a life or death situation know where to turn and how to take the proper steps
No, I said what Israel should do, as the MK in the posts suggests.
Make vaccine, testing, serology, and quarantine rules that apply equally to anyone eligible for aliya.
I like how this country prides themselves as the only democracy in the Middle East. I learn in Israel and see first hand how socialized this place has become to the point of a communist regime. the way they operate, the way laws are created without any logical process or advance notice to citizens come to show how little they care for the citizens. I look to be positive toward the state but it’;s getting impossible, you have a Knesset which a big chunk of it want nothing to do with G-D or religion and actively looking to make it harder to be religious. it is a sad scene to watch.
Israel realizes the vaccine isn’t working
I personally know someone that was dreaming his whole life to make Aliya. But watching the governments handling of covid, totally killed his interest.
Very sad.