It's Not Just Us: Freedom v. Tyranny in Israel
Though Israel has recently reported another drop in new COVID-19 cases, daily deaths there are supposedly among the highest in the world (Haaretz, 2020). The government locked down the nation on September 18 in response to the increase in cases, even though doing so interfered with important religious traditions associated with the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashana (Feast of Trumpets). Schools, malls, and hotels were ordered to close. However, at that time, mass protests were still allowed because of an Israeli law that protects the freedom and ability to hold them. The criticism resulting from this disparity chipped away at public trust in the government’s pandemic guidelines, and some believe caused noncompliance (Kershner, 2020).
The September 18th lockdown was strongly opposed by many sectors of the Israeli workforce (Times of Israel, 2020), and undoubtedly business owners as well. Then, on September 24, Prime Minister Netanyahu further tightened restrictions, this time impacting not only indoor worship/prayer services, but also forbidding outdoor protests. As it now stands, only essential workers may leave their homes, outdoor gatherings are limited to 20 people, indoor gatherings to 10, and no one (except the essential workers) may travel more than about a half mile from his or her residence.
But much like here in the US, many Israelis are tired of the restrictions, disagree with lockdown logic, resent the government’s response (i.e. failure) in handling the supposed pandemic (Times of Israel, 2020). The New York Times recently reported that the lockdown measures are actually fueling violence and further protests (Kershner, 2020):
After coronavirus regulations were tightened late last month, the government approved temporary restrictions on the demonstrations, confining protests to groups of up to 20 people wearing masks, standing two meters apart, and gathering no farther than a kilometer, or just over half a mile, from their homes. Critics considered the curbs antidemocratic and found ways to fight back. On Saturday night, hundreds of smaller protests took place all over the country, with the largest gatherings shifting to Tel Aviv. But there has also been an increase in attacks by those who oppose the demonstrations. In television interviews with anti-Netanyahu protesters, a woman said she had been punched in the face in Tel Aviv and a man said he had been left with a broken arm in Pardes Hana-Karkur, in the north.
Also, much like we are seeing here in the States, the piece went on to say that police in Israel are being accused of violence as the detain and/or disperse protestors. The chaos has also been reported in other news sources. Haaretz (2020) reports that journalists themselves are being attacked:
Journalists from several Israeli networks have reported being attacked in ultra-Orthodox towns and neighborhoods on at least five different occasions in the past week, as tensions in religious communities aggravate over the enforcement of COVID19 restrictions over the period of Jewish High Holidays.
Among the latest stories coming out of Israel is the announcement of a new program to “give local authorities the tools to work” in helping manage/enforce the lockdown. The Jerusalem Post dubs it an effort to “reduce infection rate[s]” and states that the program will “be implemented in all red cities” (Jean, 2020). According to the article in the Post, the new initiative has been named the “Personnel Program.” Although exact details are unclear, it sounds as if the program has already been run in other cities but will now become a permanent part of the country’s COVID-19 management process. Apparently, it is carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Home Front Command in conjunction with local authorities.
It will be interesting to learn exactly what this new program entails, how it will affect the personal freedoms of Israeli citizens, what impact it has on the atmosphere of violence and chaos in the streets, and whether it will truly be helpful in lowering the COVID-19 case count. But, as we move closer to the days of the Great Tribulation, we must also consider how programs such as this could be propelling us toward fulfilment of end times bible prophecies. An increase in government oversight and intrusion, loss of personal privacy, lack of control over basic actions like whether we go to work, how far we travel to buy groceries, and how many relatives invite to our holiday dinners – this is what life looks like as a citizen of the coming new world order. If the “Personnel Program is successful, will other countries adopt similar measures? Might it actually be a segue to the beast system that lies in wait just over the horizon?
Sources
Haaretz News. (2020, October 9). Coronavirus live: Israel sees another drop in new cases, but daily deaths among
highest in world. Retrieved from: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-coronavirus-netanyahu-lockdown-
Jean, C. (2020, October 9). Program to reduce infection rate to be implemented in all red cities. The Jerusalem Post.
Retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/program-to-reduce-infection-rate-to-be-implemented-in-all-red-
Kershner, I. (2020, October 5). Israel’s coronavirus lockdown fuels protests, violence and confusion. The New York
Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/world/middleeast/israel-covid-lockdown.html
Kershner, I. (2020, September 29). Israel tightens holiday lockdown, restricting prayers and protests. The New York
Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/world/middleeast/israel-coronavirus-lockdown.html
The Times of Israel. (2020, September 13). Israel to enter 3-week lockdown from Friday; Schools, malls, hotels to be
closed. Retrieved from: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-to-enter-3-week-lockdown-from-friday-schools-malls-
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