With the rapid global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders of nations are searching for answers leading to successful containment of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Extremely active in the fight against the spread of this disease is the nation of Israel. With all schools and many businesses already shuttered, the Health Ministry is calling for a total shutdown and quarantine of everyone in the country.
Joining us for insight on some steps Israel is taking in this fight, including the controversial measure of monitoring phones of virus patients, is David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel.
Q&A:
- Why is Israel both at a serious disadvantage and at an advantage when it comes to battling the Corona Virus? Israel is a very small country, about the size of New Jersey, with a relatively dense population, conditions that are conducive to the spread of the virus. However, being a country that is always under attack from terrorism and war, we are remarkably disciplined in times of crisis. All the schools have been closed down and restaurants shut down, except for take-out orders and no gatherings of more than ten people are permitted, but the normally rambunctious Israeli population is cooperating towards a common goal.
- What is the latest controversial step taken by the government of Israel to stop the spread of the disease? While this may sound totalitarian, Israel is moving toward monitoring phones of virus patients. For some time, we have used technology to track terrorists, so now we may be monitoring the tiniest of terrorists: viruses.
- Isn’t that more like something that would be done in China, rather than in a free country like Israel? Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Cabinet authorized our Shin Bet security agency to monitor coronavirus patients to ensure that they aren’t violating quarantine rules. Of course, there will be those who claim this is a privacy violation, but I can attest to the fact that the coronavirus is violating a lot more than just privacy. It’s destroying people’s livelihoods and even lives and those who violate the rules are putting everyone in danger. As we’ve witnessed in Israel many times, extreme temporary crises sometimes require extreme temporary measures.
- What is the latest on travel allowed to and from Israel? Anyone who is permitted to enter Israel, which is now restricted to a very limited number of countries, must be quarantined for 14 days. This has effectively halted any visitors from entering the country, and all returning Israelis, as well, are now required to self-quarantine.
- Israel is also a very creative and scientifically advanced country. Is it true that Israeli scientists may soon have a vaccine? Yes, a team of Israeli scientists believes that they are very close to discovering a vaccine that will end this horrible crisis. After four years of research, they have discovered a vaccine for the Coronavirus that affects poultry, and since the genetics of the poultry coronavirus are highly similar to the coronavirus found in humans, and that it uses the same infection mechanism, it just needs to be adapted for humans.
- How long will this process take? The goal is to produce the vaccine over the next five weeks and then achieve safety approval in about three months. Of course, we wouldn’t complain if another country gets there first. We’re all in this together.
- What’s the latest in the Israeli elections? It’s been reported that Benny Ganz has the 61 recommendations necessary to form a government. If so, how will this impact Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israeli relations with The United States? The 61 Knesset members recommending Gantz includes the 15 members of the Joint Arab List, which is avowedly anti-Israel and supports terrorism against Israel. If Gantz depends on their support, there will be a popular revolt against such a coalition. Gantz’s only other possibility to lead is to form a unity compromise coalition together with Netanyahu. He has 28 days to succeed or fail.
“I’m not a scientist, but I can certainly discuss all things Israel!”
–David Rubin, former mayor of Shiloh, Israel
Bio: David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews”. Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. He can be found at www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or at http://www.ShilohIsraelChildren.org
