By Lieba Nesis
As coronavirus sweeps the globe, with nearly 4 million cases and 270,000 deaths worldwide, the question arises as to why Israel has been mostly spared from its lethal effects. There is undoubtedly a degree of divine intervention accounting for Israel’s paltry 245 deaths and 17,000 cases in a closely knit population of 9 million. Other European countries such as Spain, Italy, England, France, and Belgium experienced 26,000, 29,000, 31,000, 26,000, and 8,500 deaths respectively. New York City, with close to 9 million people, has reported over 20,000 deaths and 186,000 cases with daily numbers growing exponentially.
Contrastingly, Israel’s more than 16,000 cases peaked on April 2nd when the country had 765 new cases in 24 hours-with a steady decline that has resulted in more than two thirds recovering. This auspicious news prompted the government to declare a “return to action” on May 5th: limiting restrictions on movement, allowing 20 people to gather in outdoor spaces, and opening libraries, gyms, malls, zoos, hotels, guest houses, kindergartens, and national parks. Incoming flights are theoretically permitted for citizens, permanent residents and “non-nationals whose lives are based in Israel”; however, most flights are cancelled through the beginning to end of June.
Israel’s astoundingly successful results can be predominantly explained by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s unparalleled leadership. Many criticized his draconian lockdowns declaring that it was a bid to deflect from his own political problems. However, he was undeterred- recognizing the gravity of the situation in its incipient stages and taking immediate action despite widespread opposition. Israel knew there was no margin for error: with its underfunded single health care payer insurance program, its shortage of hospital beds which were 100 percent occupied at the beginning of the pandemic, and its smaller number of nurses and doctors per capita than most developed countries-this was its do-or-die moment. Akin to the United States, Israel stopped all flights from China on January 30th and extended the ban to include Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore on February 17th. These aggressive moves were initiated early enough to abate the viruses’ rapid spread.
Israel’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on February 21st 2020 after a female citizen returned from quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise in Japan. Immediately thereafter, a 14-day home isolation rule was placed on anyone who had visited South Korea or Japan. On March 9th, Israel took the bold step of declaring a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all entrants to the country-effectively barring tourists from leisure trips. On March 11th Israel began enforcing social distancing and limiting gatherings to no more than 100 people.
On March 15th gatherings were further restricted to 10 people and attendees advised to keep 2 meters apart. Furthermore, despite large public protests on March 17th, the government went ahead with a controversial phone tracking program that allowed the Shin Bet security services to follow the movements of people diagnosed with the virus, dispatching messages to those they had contact with to immediately self quarantine. On March 19th Netanyahu declared a national state of emergency prohibiting Israelis from leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary- subject to legal enforcement. On March 23rd all public transportation was closed, as well as stores besides pharmacies and supermarkets. Citizens were required to stay within 150 meters of their home for non-work related activities. As coronavirus cases spiked in Bnei Brak, reaching nearly 1,000 at the beginning of April, the cabinet declared the city a “restricted zone” limiting entry and exit for one week. On April 8th, the night of the first Passover seder, lawmakers ordered a three-day lockdown mandating the army and police to require Israelis to stay within 100 meters of their home.
While many countries such as the United States and Europe were simultaneously instituting similar restrictions in mid-March, Israel’s efficiency at ensuring they were adhered to most closely mirrors China which had similarly effective outcomes. Israel’s other advantages as compared to New York, include its lack of a subway system which is a driver of transmission,it’s warmer climate, its spread out locales and villages and its ability to more closely account for its citizens. Moreover, being that Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides, it is in a constant state of emergency preparedness allowing it to seal borders, activate soldiers and enforce rulings on a swift basis.
Israel has also benefited from its homogeneity with 74% of the population being Jewish it has a more monolithic population; whereas melting pots such as New York and Italy have thousands of Asians and foreigners endemic to the region. Furthermore, Israel is relatively isolated from the outside world with Ben Gurion being its sole major international airport. Carefully monitoring and limiting flights from one location was easily effectuated and limited Israel’s vulnerability to incoming infections from hotspots such as New York, and Spain. New York has three major international airports making it harder to control incoming and outgoing travelers. Undoubtedly, New York made some tragic errors as well, as when Governor Cuomo forced vulnerable nursing homes to accept recovering COVID-19 patients; with one fourth of New York State deaths attributed to these elderly residents exposure-a fatal blunder Israel would never commit.
Some other explanations for Israel’s victory, include its maintenance of one of the most advanced universal health care systems in the world. The easy access to patient data as well as the employ of the world’s top doctors makes it the envy of the world. With 80 percent of coronavirus deaths in the US occurring in those 65 and older,
Israel‘s younger population with a median age of 30.2, as compared to North America (39) and Europe (43), is helpful in reducing fatalities. Hong Kong venture fund, Deep Knowledge Ventures, recently named Israel the safest place to be during the pandemic because of its competence and efficiency in medicine and technology. However, it failed to realize the real secret behind Israel’s success is the value it places on the lives of each and every one of its more than 9 million citizens.
