JERUSAELM — Along with, or perhaps behind the quarrels over the presidential transition, is the global pandemic.
It’s the worst case since the flu that accompanied World War I more than a century ago.
The US President should take considerable credit for his country’s leading indicators of illness and death. His various claims about cures and vaccines, plus his reluctance to wear a mask have contributed to the widespread disregard, and the increasing incidence of infections.
Major items on our news for many months have concerned various aspects of the sickness, the economic costs of full or partial shutdowns, the changing incidence among Arabs and ultra-Orthodox, plus related events in other countries and news about vaccines. It overshadows incidents of violence on our borders, along with threats from Palestinians, Hezbollah, and Iran, and occasional incidents of Israeli retaliation. Sick soldiers are more often on the news than anything about the actions of healthy soldiers.
Now that winter is approaching, or already upon northern countries, the combination of flu and Corona is in the broadcasts, along with some indications that mask wearing will lessen the incidence of flu.
Trump’s behavior toward the disease was, arguably, one of the factors to explain the outcome of the election. We can assume that Trump will eventually concede, or move aside quietly. Meanwhile, there isn’t the usual cooperation about sharing information and turning over the reigns.
Recently his various aides, Secretaries, and Republican Senators and Representatives have divided. With some saying they anticipate a second term for Donald, and others urging him to give up.
Trump himself still Tweets that the election was stolen from him. And intense supporters echo that, sometimes with violence.
Bibi seems to be pressured. Donald was a good friend, and provided key steps to advance Israel’s concerns. Commentators differ on Bibi’s relations with Biden. He, himself, claims friendship of 40 years. But his close ties to Trump may cost him something.
In the final analysis, interests are likely to supersede personal ties. One can doubt that Biden will return the US Embassy to Tel Aviv, backtrack on Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights, and limit Israel’s ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.
At least at the beginning, we can assume that Israel will not be at the top of Biden’s agenda. Most important will be actions on Coronavirus, trying to beef up Obamacare, working to unite the United States, and generally posturing himself as different from Trump.
With the announcement by Pfizer of good results, Israel is scrambling to acquire vaccines from that company. Its CEO is a Jew from Saloniki. Will that help?
Meanwhile we’ve already signed with Moderna for its vaccine, said to be similar to Pfizer’s and now announcing good test results. One of its head scientists is an Israeli. Will that help?
Hadassah has signed with Russia to acquire some of its vaccine, said to be even more effective than Pfizer’s.
Bibi is posing as active in getting enough vaccines for Israel. He poses for just about everything, and then makes compromises that he blames on others. Those in the know are claiming that the agreement with Pfizer falls short of any promised delivery.
Currently we’re worried about peaks in infections among Arabs, said to be associated with mass attendance at their weddings. And who knows what’s happening among the ultra-Orthodox. All their schools are functioning, in contrast to orders from the Health Ministry. And many of the ultra-Orthodox are avoiding being tested.
In any case, total infections are rising, and we’re hearing about closing things in the evening. From 7 p.m. or from 10 p.m.? And focused on infected communities or to cover the entire country? We’re still wondering if we’ll all be locked down, on account of problematic communities.
Politics thrives. We see snippets from those suffering closures, and claiming that their businesses should be open. Some are open, due more to the weight of lobbyists than to any recommendations from the Health Ministry. Eilat and the area of the Dead Sea have been designated tourists islands that will be open to visitors. Efforts to include Tiberias, Sefat, and Nahariya have so far not succeeded. Shops alongside the streets are open, presumably for no more than four customers in each shop, with long lines outside some of them. Shops in the malls are still closed. Large retailers are claiming special status, and urging their opening. Recommendations to increase fines for gatherings have not been adopted, thanks to the pressure from the ultra-Orthodox and others.
Bibi is telling people that Gantz is not fit to be Prime Minister. The Supreme Court is considering a case that seeks to crush the Bibi-Gantz agreement, claiming that there is no basis for the title of Associate Prime Minister. The turnover of power is due in a year, but there is warm speculation that Bibi will call an election in March.
And there is a possibility that the Legal Adviser to the Government will curtail Bibi’s Prime Ministership, due to a trial scheduled to begin in January.
Where does all this leave us?
So far healthy, with masks, staying away from communities highly infected, but still passing ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs as we walk the neighborhood. Many of those we meet have masks, but not all. We lift and then dip ours’, as we approach people. And hope for the best.
And we wonder at the manipulations of Israeli politicians. To open this, but not that. To cave into this group of lobbyists, but so far not others. We pity the stories heard from those out of work for a long time, and struggling to survive. And what we hear about school kids up through university students having to study via zoom. Plus stories of families without computers or telephones that allow zoom, and the slide of kids untaught, with some dipping into drugs, alcohol, or other illegalities.
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Ira Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University. He may be contacted via ira.sharkansky@sdjewishworld.com