After vaccination, Israeli citizens receive a special document
"Last week it was very cold, people without 'green passports' couldn't get inside, and you can't sit on the terrace for long – they left quickly," says Omer Ido, a restaurant owner in Jerusalem. As BBC notes, in conversation with Omer, two main moods were discernible that all Israeli businessmen are currently in: joy that life is returning, and frustration over losses caused by the decision of the Israeli authorities.
The possible introduction of vaccine passports has been discussed for a long time in many countries, but so far only Israel has moved from words to action. It recently became known that China has introduced mandatory vaccine passports for travel abroad. However, the Israeli experience concerns the internal order of the country's life, and this is undoubtedly a more comprehensive and large-scale experiment.
How much has life changed for Israelis? Will vaccine passports become the everyday norm? And can Israel be seen as a model for the entire post-pandemic world?
Special privileges?
At the end of February, in an interview with the American channel NBC, the CEO of the pharmaceutical concern Pfizer, Albert Bourla, called Israel a "world laboratory," referring to the unprecedented scale of vaccination in the country and the fact that only the Pfizer drug is used there. According to him, Israel has become a kind of benchmark by which to judge the impact of vaccination on public health and the economy.
The country was one of the first in the world to quickly arrange the purchase of millions of doses of the vaccine, and since the end of last December, it has vaccinated at least one dose more than half of the country's population. Unlike other countries, vaccinated Israelis have a number of advantages.
Now a vaccinated Israeli can return to social and cultural life (tickets to theaters and museums are sold out far in advance), is not required to quarantine upon returning from abroad, and is exempt from the rules provided by the contact tracing system for the infected. That is, he does not need to isolate if he comes into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID.
The "green passport" is also now required when visiting hotels, swimming pools, gyms, and sporting events. Children under 16, who are not yet vaccinated, must take a coronavirus test to visit these places. However, vaccination does not exempt from the need to wear masks in public places and maintain social distance. The fine for not wearing a mask for absolutely any citizen of the country is 1,000 shekels (about $300). For travel on public transport and entry to shopping centers, a vaccine passport is not required.
How it works
Since March 7, across the country, in establishments where advance table reservation is not provided, people have been standing in long queues to get into their favorite places. "Our group of four stood in line for a restaurant for about 40 minutes, eventually gave up and went to a beach bar where you don't have to wait for a table, you can sit right by the water with drinks," says Esther from Eilat, a city in the very south of Israel.
"There are queues everywhere, but it's not related to 'green passports,' you show them on your phone at the entrance, and it takes a second. The queues are because people are just stunned by the feeling of freedom. Dinner at a restaurant is like a prize for months of suffering," the girl continues.
Assaf is a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship. He came from his native Bil'in in the West Bank, where everything has been closed since mid-December, to Jerusalem to visit relatives, and came to a bar with his "green passport." "There's a warning here that you need to show a passport, and you have to respect that. But not everywhere checks the same way. I think it's everyone's personal responsibility to act honestly," Assaf believes.
Some Israelis are ready to get vaccinated right in bars
Without "green passports," you can only sit on open terraces. And the question of the expediency of this division arises when a vaccinated customer sitting inside and an unvaccinated one from the veranda meet in the common restroom.
The authorities explain that, firstly, the "green passport" is a kind of safety certificate confirming that its holder does not pose a risk of infection (however, there is still no international scientific consensus on this, which is why the WHO still does not recommend introducing vaccine passports).
In addition, according to the Israeli authorities, such a division protects the vaccinated from new strains to which the current vaccine may be unstable. "I consider these restrictions balanced. It's not forever, but for now we must separate those who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID," said Roni Gamzo, former chief coordinator for the fight against coronavirus in Israel.
For failing to separate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated, the owner of an establishment can be fined 5,000-10,000 shekels ($1,500-$3,000). However, according to stories from BBC interlocutors, in practice, situations in different places vary dramatically – from overly meticulous checks to their complete absence. For forging a "green passport," the violator faces criminal prosecution up to imprisonment.
Terrible division
Israeli anti-vaxxers are furious. Their campaign cannot be called large-scale, but eyewitnesses tell of terrible scandals that occurred in the first days after the opening at the doors of restaurants, where visitors without vaccinations were not allowed in.
"We don't trust this government, we don't trust the agreement with Pfizer, we don't know what's inside the vials. It feels like we've been made part of the biggest experiment in human history," says 41-year-old Israeli journalist Arnon Maoz. "This situation does not inspire trust, our government lies."
In early March, the anti-vaccination organization "Anshei Emet" ("People of Truth") filed a lawsuit against the Israeli authorities in the International Criminal Court. In it, the plaintiffs claim that the Israeli government is forcing the country's population to get vaccinated by any means necessary, thereby committing a crime against humanity under the Nuremberg Code, which was used to prosecute Nazi criminals for conducting medical experiments on living people.
Opponents also note that the "green passport" is issued only for six months. And what then? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly indicated that he wants to prepare the country for the need to get vaccinated twice a year or every year and a half. "No one knows how long the vaccine's effect will last, but we have every reason to believe it won't end in July, and that is encouraging," says Professor Jonathan Halevy, head of the Shaarei Zedek Medical Center. In his opinion, the next vaccination will not be needed until 2022.
Against the backdrop of such statements, vaccine opponents say that the "green passport" is nothing more than a tool to force vaccination, because living without it for an extended period will be difficult. "In the State of Israel, there is and will be no mandatory vaccination. Those who refuse vaccination have the right to do so. There will also be no individual sanctions against those who are not vaccinated. It must be understood that getting vaccinated is a huge privilege for all of us, which many countries in the world have not yet received," Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein reassures his fellow citizens.
However, teacher Natalya Zolotar from Tel Aviv confirms that in the education sector, there have been attempts to force teachers to get vaccinated. "About three weeks ago, we were told that unvaccinated teachers would not be allowed to work. Since then, the Ministry of Education has changed its tactics to gentle pressure, let's call it that. Now they appeal to our civic duty through some videos and conversations," says Natalya.
According to her, school administrations ask about vaccination status but have not yet removed anyone from lessons—at least in her region. Other cities may have different rules because decisions are made at the municipal level. "There are plans to offer teachers a choice: vaccination or a mandatory COVID test every 72 hours. It's clear that the second option is extremely inconvenient, and few are likely to choose it," says Natalya Zolotar.
Pro-vaccination supporters are extremely aggressive towards anti-vaxxers, who they believe are holding the country back. Especially towards the Orthodox community, which for the most part did not even think about following epidemiological norms throughout the pandemic. Israeli social media has repeatedly discussed stories where police fined individuals walking without a mask on the beach with a dog but did not touch mass gatherings in Orthodox neighborhoods.
Mobile vaccination stations travel to remote areas of Israel
According to most Israelis, the impunity of the Orthodox is explained by the fact that they are an important part of Netanyahu's electorate, but even he will find it difficult to force them to get vaccinated. Only a small percentage of the community supports the vaccination campaign. Most Orthodox do not need "green passports": they hardly go to restaurants and museums, and certainly never to nightclubs.
"There are political and electoral considerations, and there is a loss of control over the coronavirus. And as a result, we get another lockdown. That is, everyone is collectively punished for violations in a certain sector," commented Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, in an interview with the Israeli publication "Vesti" about the latest tightening of quarantine measures.
Who's Next?
From the very beginning of the pandemic, Israel stood out from other countries with its actions and decisions. It was the first to decide that big holidays are a serious breeding ground for infection and introduced quarantine measures during the Jewish Passover in April last year. This example was later followed worldwide: restrictions were imposed everywhere—from Thanksgiving in the USA to Christmas in Europe.
Israel was the first to introduce a second nationwide lockdown in September last year, after which many other countries did the same. It also became the only country to deny entry to its own citizens when the situation, in the authorities' opinion, began to seriously spiral out of control. Ben Gurion International Airport was closed for more than a month—from February 1 to March 6.
Israel's latest innovation not only raises objections from a certain part of Israelis but also serious doubts among international human rights advocates. What about people who cannot get vaccinated for health reasons? Do vaccine passports not resemble segregation based on a certain characteristic? Is disclosing medical history a violation of medical confidentiality?
Recently, Israeli Knesset member Tamar Zandberg called for not forgetting the ethical side in the fight against coronavirus. When the country's parliament allowed municipal authorities access to information about unvaccinated residents for further targeted campaigns in favor of vaccination, Zandberg said that the state had stepped onto a slippery slope of interfering in the private lives of its citizens.
On March 17, the European Commission is expected to announce the creation of a "green digital certificate" that will allow EU citizens to travel within the bloc without needing to quarantine. Details are not yet known, but according to the Financial Times, this certificate can be obtained not only by getting vaccinated but also by presenting a negative COVID test or proof that the person has already had the coronavirus.
At the same time, several EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom, are still considering the idea of introducing vaccine passports domestically. “I think that in the dispute between ethics and expediency, big business will win,” says Israeli businessman Ofir Frisch. “IT giants, international airlines, the tourism industry – all those sectors that markets react to most strongly, and which governments will follow – are pushing for the speedy introduction of a control system, of which vaccine passports may well be a variant.”
Anastasia USPENSKAYA,
Anastasia ZLATOPOLSKAYA.