Moshe Bar Siman Tov
Moshe Bar Siman TovFlash 90

Former Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov slammed Israel's current government for not acting appropriately to stem the wave of Omicron infections.

"We are not making the minimal efforts necessary in order to stem the wave," Bar Siman Tov told Kan Bet. "We are looking at it as if it is a binary question of mass infection or lockdown."

"There is a middle ground," he emphasized. "We can reduce infections by limiting gatherings, and by small and separate groups in the educational system."

He added: "Damage to health also comes at an economic cost, and we need to take that into account as well. It's unthinkable that our entire policy should be a product of not wanting to provide compensation. That seems to be part of the issue."

Last week, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) said, "There is no reason to talk again and again about closures and lockdowns, it is not on the agenda."

According to Horowitz, the government's policy is about "considerate and responsible risk management. We are committed to livelihood, education and as sane a routine as possible. My goal, too, in this wave, is to make a supreme effort to enable in-person learning in the classroom."