Yamina Chairman MK Naftali Bennett today addressed the danger that lies, in his opinion, in the government's current COVID-19 third wave strategy.
"Almost a year ago, with the outbreak of the first wave, I called on you to protect Grandma and Grandpa, a call that resonated in Israel and around the world and saved many lives. We saved Grandpa and Grandma - now we have to take care of our children. The children, the pregnant women," Bennett declared.
He said, "In the current strategy of only vaccination without epidemic management, the Israeli government is gambling on our children's lives. The government bases almost its entire strategy to get out of the crisis on vaccines, and it is an irresponsible act. We do not know enough about vaccine efficacy in mutations, besides which, children under 16 aren't vaccinated."
"The vaccine is only allowed from age 16 and up, and a quarter of Israel's population - over 2.5 million citizens - are children.
"In recent weeks alone, 50,000 children have been infected with coronavirus. This is an inconceivable number. Dozens of children are hospitalized in critical and moderate condition. In January 2021, one hundred times more children were infected than in March 2020.
"We do not yet know the long-term consequences of coronavirus on fertility, on cognition, and it is a gamble on our children's future and health. I hope, I really hope, that coronavirus will turn out to be a temporary and transient disease in children.
"But no one really knows. We must not build on that. Hopes and dreams are not a work plan," Bennett added.
"The vaccine campaign is excellent and we're proud that Israel's a world leader in the rate of vaccines. But, no one can sign that the vaccines are resistant to the various existing mutations, and certainly the mutations that will be created in the future, and no one currently knows what the child care strategy is."
Bennett addressed a question to government ministers. "I ask the Israeli government, the prime minister and the health minister: What is your plan? How will we protect the children in the next six months? Pregnant women?
"The Israeli government must provide answers immediately, explain to us whether it has the information at all for the following questions: Since the beginning of the epidemic, how many pregnant or maternity women tested COVID positive? How many of them were hospitalized, sedated, and ventilated, and underwent emergency caesarean section? How many of them lost the baby, or did the baby need to be hospitalized?
"How many children of all ages have actually been infected so far? How many children have been hospitalized so far because of coronavirus are in mild, moderate, or severe condition? How many of them are still in some form of rehabilitation? How many children in Israel have chronic coronavirus, and report symptoms over three months of infection? How many pregnant women in Israel have children in the education system? What is the plan to protect them from infection? We ask for answers. This negligence has cost and costs in human life," Bennett concluded.