Roundtable: The COVID-19 Pandemic in Israel

doi:10.3167/isr.2021.360302

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Several analysts have argued that the Israel-specific political context also contributed significantly to the rapidity, and forcefulness, of Israeli responses in the first wave of the pandemic 7 [ 50 , 51 ]. They note that that at the time of the outbreak, the Prime Minister was under indictment for several alleged criminal actions.…”

Section: Rapid Responses Not Related To Vaccinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Israeli health system’s rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rosen,

Hartal,

Waitzberg

2024

Isr J Health Policy Res

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous challenges to health systems around the world. In addressing many of those challenges, Israel responded quite rapidly. While quick action is not an end in it itself, it can be important in responding to disease outbreaks. Some of Israel's rapid responses to the pandemic contributed significantly to population health and provided important learning opportunities for other countries. Main body Some of the most prominent Israeli rapid responses were related to vaccination. Israel led the world in the pace of its initial vaccine rollout, and it was also the first country to approve and administer booster vaccines to broad segments of the population. In addition, Israeli scholars published a series of timely reports analyzing vaccination impact, which informed policy in Israel and other countries. Israel was a rapid responder in additional areas of public health. These include the partial closure of its borders, the adoption of physical distancing measures, the use of digital surveillance technology for contact tracing, the use of wastewater surveillance to monitor viral spread, and the use of vaccine certificates ("green passes") to facilitate a return to routine in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Many factors contributed to Israel's capacity to repeatedly respond rapidly to a broad array of COVID-19 challenges. These include a national health insurance system that promotes public–private coordination, a system of universal electronic health records, a high level of emergency preparedness, a culture of focusing on goal attainment, a culture of innovation, and the presence of a strong scientific community which is highly connected internationally. In addition, some of the rapid responses (e.g., the rapid initial vaccination rollout) facilitated rapid responses in related areas (e.g., the analysis of vaccination impact, the administration of boosters, and the adoption of green passes). While rapid response can contribute to population health and economic resilience, it can also entail costs, risks, and limitations. These include making decisions and acting before all the relevant information is available; deciding without sufficient consideration of the full range of possible effects, costs, and benefits; not providing enough opportunities for the involvement of relevant groups in the decision-making process; and depleting non-renewable resources. Conclusions Based on our findings, we encourage leaders in the Israeli government to ensure that its emergency response system will continue to have the capacity to respond rapidly to large-scale challenges, whether of a military or civilian nature. At the same time, the emergency response systems should develop mechanisms to include more stakeholders in the fast-paced decision-making process and should improve communication with the public. In addition, they should put into place mechanisms for timely reconsideration, adjustment, and—when warranted—reversal of decisions which, while reasonable when reached, turn out to have been ill-advised in the light of subsequent developments and evidence. These mechanisms could potentially involve any or all branches of government, as well as the public, the press, and professional organizations. Our findings also have implications for health system leaders in other countries. The Israeli experience can help them identify key capacities to develop during non-emergency periods, thus positioning themselves to respond more rapidly in an emergency. Finally, health system leaders in other countries could monitor Israel's rapid responses to future global health emergencies and adopt selected actions in their own countries.

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Section: Rapid Responses Not Related To Vaccinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Israeli health system’s rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rosen,

Hartal,

Waitzberg

2024

Isr J Health Policy Res

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“…This political crisis, which was described and understood in different ways (e.g., Migdal et al 2021), might have influenced feelings of solidarity and national identity regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to the pandemic and judgment of government actions might, in addition, have been affected by political affiliation.…”

Section: The Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the National Identity Argument in a Time of Crisis – Evidence from Israel

Ariely

2023

Nationalities Papers

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This article explores the national identity argument in unsettled times by using the COVID-19 pandemic as a test case. It uses a longitudinal survey among Jewish Israelis to examine whether the pandemic influenced levels of national identity and solidarity and whether it altered their relationship. The findings indicate a clear reduction in levels of solidarity, national attachment, and national chauvinism over time. They also show that the positive connection between national attachment and solidarity grew stronger, while the connection between national chauvinism and solidarity became weaker and insignificant. These findings provide complex evidence for the national identity argument.

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“…The financial details of these agreements are not known, but the Israeli government probably spent more per vaccine dose than other governments (Rosen et al 2021: 2-6). What was also unique to the Israeli case was an agreement with Pfizer that involved Israel providing the US company with aggregate, real-world epidemiological data on the population's response to the inoculations (Migdal et al 2021). Similarly exceptional was the transfer of the personal data of unvaccinated individuals from sick funds to municipal authorities and the imposition of quotas on the number of Israeli citizens eligible to enter the country (Levy 2022: 119).…”

Section: Israel's Covid-19 Pandemic Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Decisiveness in Domestic Public Policies

Skorek

2023

Israel Studies Review

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Constructivists in the field of International Relations assume that states not only seek to ensure their physical security but also try to secure their identities by maintaining durable behavioral patterns in their relations with other actors. The dominant identity of the Israeli state is associated with policies characterized by resoluteness and decisiveness. This article argues that this state identity also manifests itself in the domestic sphere and presents case studies of two such manifestations. The first pertains to the development of Israeli offshore gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean while the second deals with the country's COVID-19 pandemic containment strategy. The two cases are similar in the decisive and extraordinary character of the measures that the government attempted to use. At the same time, in the first case study this attempt was mostly unsuccessful and only in the second case the decisive stance was effectively implemented.

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Roundtable: The COVID-19 Pandemic in Israel

Cited by 3 publications

References 51 publications

The Israeli health system’s rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Israeli health system’s rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Testing the National Identity Argument in a Time of Crisis – Evidence from Israel

Decisiveness in Domestic Public Policies

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