On The Front Lines

                                  Gil at his hardware store in Avnei Chen (Kaizer) neighborhood, Modiin

Even storekeepers are on the front lines these days in the “hot” neighborhood of Avnei Chen (Kaizer), Modiin. The neighborhood has a population of 12,000 and nearly a third have been or in quarantine.

This is not farfetched. In N. Italy a storekeeper died after contracting the virus at work. Whoever thought shopping or getting into an elevator would be a perilous activity.

The number of those with the virus in Israel has climbed to 2,495, so far. The number climbs as more people are tested. Israel has opened drive-in test centers in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Haifa and soon Modiin.

Israel, population 8.7 million, has more infections than countries like Turkey, pop. 80 million, (2,433 infected), or Poland, pop. @38 million, (1,085 infected) or Japan, pop. @130 million (1,307 infected), or USA states like Michigan, pop. 9.9 million (2,295 infected), or Illinois, pop 12.6 million (1,865 infected) and is closing in on California, pop. 39.5 million (3,158 infected.)and Washington State, with a surprisingly small population of only 7.5 million (2,588 infected). Hard to believe, but true. (see

https://ncov2019.live and Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com

gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com (statistics from March 26, 2020 at 11:30 am Israel time))

Still, far from New York state’s pop. 19.5 million (33,013 infected, with 278 deaths). Israel has only five deaths, so far, mostly octogenarians or older, except one was a 67-year-old woman with “severe underlying health issues.” 41 Israelis are in serious condition, two critical. In the Palestinian territories, 64 infected, most in Bethlehem, with one death, 9 infected have been reported in Gaza, one of the most densely populated places in the world. But these are early days. The Palestinian Authority has asked for help from Israel and the world.

But, much to the chagrin of most health professionals, two nights ago Prime Minister Netanayu caused a mini-panic when he predicted 1,000,000 infected in Israel with 10,000 deaths. These predictions flew in the face of most estimates which were a fraction of those numbers. Prof. Gabi Barbash, former director-general of the Minister of Health is a health expert commentator on Channel 12 (Keshet) news nightly broadcasts. When asked about these numbers he looked pained, even angry, saying the numbers were erroneous and it was irresponsible to say such things. Up until then, Barbash had been an unofficial spokesman for the Health Ministry.

Pundits claim that PM Netanyahu makes this claims to frighten the public. As the media nightly seeks Britain’s PM Boris Johnson for health updates, PM Netanyahu, who is only a caretaker until a new government is appointed, has assumed the role of the General in charge of the War against CODVID-19. Critics claim Netanyahu is using the crises for his own gains, mainly to postpone his trial for corruption, bribery, and breach of trust, or have the charges dismissed altogether. An uproar over his tactics has resulted in charges of “anti-democratic behavior.”

An article in Thursdays Yideot Achranot, Israel’s most popular paper, online opined that much of the

crisis in Israel could have been avoided had PM Netanyahu allow the Ministry of Defense to handle the crises not the Health Ministry and the PM himself. Columnist Yossi Yehoshua wrote that “Netanyahu won the political battle, but Israel lost coronavirus war.” He wrote: “because Netanyahu didn’t want to give an upper hand to his political rival Neftali Bennet (Minister of Defense).” Bennet called for mass testing, for the infected to be removed from their homes to dedicated recovery centers, both moves recommended by the WHO, “The Health Ministry opposed.” The Ministry of Defence, wrote Yehoshua, is now converting simple at-home respirators to a more effective model. But they could have started earlier, had Netanyahu allowed them to. “The prime minister and the health minister have waster valuable time, let us hope it will not cost us human lives.”

In his efforts to stay in power, PM Netanyahu played a trump card. One of Netanyahu’s followers, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein had been ordered by Israel’s High Court to hold new elections for speaker of the Knesset, allowing someone else to set the legislative agenda. Edelstein refused. Analysts say that Netanyahu wanted Edelstein in place to help pass a bill dismissing charges against Netanyahu, or at least postponing his trial until he was out of power. Allowing a Blue and White appointee might result in a bill doing the opposite, demanding a vote to determine if a sitting PM charged with three felonies can stay in office.

Previously, Edelstein had avoided even opening the Knesset to avoid a vote until so ordered by the court. Yesterday he resigned rather than call the vote, risking a “contempt of court” citation by the High Court. The court-ordered Labor Party chief Amir Peretz, as the senior Knesset member, to become temporary speaker and supervise new elections for the speaker today. The High Court did not punish Edelstein, but Chief Judge said that Edelstein’s actions were a threat to democracy.

Netanyahu’s backers have been harshly critical of the High Court. Some claiming the court was run by leftists. According to the Jerusalem Post, right-wing Transport Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweeted the High Court "continues to ... irresponsibly deepen the constitutional crisis that we are in the midst of." "Over time, the Knesset will not remain indifferent to the High Court's gross interference in its affairs and it will put an end to this," warned Smotrich. "There seems to be no one in the right-wing camp who does not understand today, courtesy of the High Court, that this must happen, and quickly." Smotrich also warned of civil unrest if Israelis are locked down in their homes.

But, according to the Jerusalem Post: “Blue and White's number two, MK Yair Lapid, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "sending Yuli to burn down our democracy." He said MKs on the Right should be condemning Edelstein. Blue and White MK Moshe Ya'alon added that if Netanyahu was a private citizen, he would have been arrested by now for "inciting a rebellion."

Even some die-hard Likud supporters saw this move by Edelstein as akin to anarchy. “We must respect the rule of law,” said Yamina’s Minister of Defense Neftali Bennet, a Netanyahu appointee. Benny Ganz, Blue and White leader, who has a paper-thin majority to gather a coalition together, has said “The future of Israel as a democracy is at stake.”

Ron Ben -Yishai, a veteran and well-respected military correspondent for Yediot Achronot, wrote yesterday that “During previous crises, a sense of unity and external threats brought the country back from the brink, but now both the left and the right are entrenched in their positions strengthened only by their mutual hatred.” In his opinion piece, Ben-Yishai says that another major crises is emerging among the two major events, the coronovirus pandemic and the ongoing political stalemate. “As emotions run high the danger of violence increases….we might see the eruption of a civil war. The threat is exacerbated by the continuously eroding public trust in the government and its leader and the growing extremism and deepening rift between the right-wing, religious bloc and the center-left and Arabs.”

Protests have already begun in front of both the Knesset and the Prime Ministers office calling for Edelstein to hold the elections for the speaker, and for Netanyahu to step aside. Ben-Yishai had a dire assessment of this development, “Political demonstrations have already begun, with the center-left Israelis protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political maneuverings and his supporters, in turn, protesting the moves by the "anyone but Bibi" camp. We can expect to see a rise in the level of violence in such demonstrations, deteriorating into increasing verbal and physical attacks and even the use of weapons.” Violence has happened in the past, Ben-Yishai reminds us. Peace Now activist Emil Grunzweig was murdered at an anti-government demonstration 37-years ago. Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing activist in 1995. And what Ben-Yishai doesn’t mention is the civil wars in Israel’s history, from the sons of King David through the fall of the Second Temple.

“The external enemy is a microscopic virus but those on the left see a real threat in the attacks on democracy and the rule of law that the right is perpetrating,” wrote Ben-Yishai.

Last night, Wednesday, March 24, at 5pm Israel time, the new restrictions came into force in the Corona fight - without imposing a full closure. Public transport will be significantly reduced: the train will be completely disabled, but one-quarter of the bus lines will operate to allow workers to get to their place of employment so they can stock drugs and food. Also: Synagogues will be closed. Residents only allowed 100 meters from their homes, unless it is to go for food or drugs. Fines for ignoring the rules range from 500 to 5,000 shekels. ($137 - $1,370)

The struggle over the Speaker of the Knesset is almost over. The vote for a new speaker may be postponed until next Monday, but no later. Pundits say that then, a vote to strip Netanyahu of power will be held. Then Blue and White can enter a national unity government with a Likud but not Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Netanyahu remains Prime Minister and skeptics are likening the situation to the dangerous one that brought men like Italian dictator Mussolini to power.