An open question to Charmaine Gauci about the situation of coronavirus in Israel

Blog post by Marica Micalllef

While the Superintendent of Public Health, Profs Charmaine Gauci, has often been reported stating that Malta is monitoring the situation in Israel, where the scenario portrayed by the media is one where the country has “gone back to normal”, a tweet on twitter by an Israeli citizen and lawyer, not only shows the opposite but it also shows the frightening situation in which the country is truly in! And this tweet was sent before the current political trouble in this country. When Malta was commemorating its own riots of 28th April, an Israeli lawyer, Gal, sent the following message:

“Hello, my name is Gal. I am an Israeli citizen, and I want to convey this urgent message to the world. Contrary to what you are told, Israel has not ‘returned to normal’ in any way. Moreover, despite the desire to create a setting as if there was a full and normal routine here – the Israeli Ministry of Health JUST RECOMMENDED TODAY TO EXTENT THE DECLARATION OF A ‘STATE OF EMERGENCY’ in Israel which is the foundation for coercion, violation of basic rights, severe discrimination under a ‘green mark (pass)’, prolonged closure (of about 5 months overall) and a lot of undemocratic and not ‘routine’ restrictions.  If the situation in Israel had ‘returned to routine thanks to the astounding success of vaccines’ then the ‘state of emergency’ would not have continued.  In fact, since the beginning of the ‘vaccination project’, there has been only more intimidation and in many ways – even though the closure has been lifted, much more coercion.  We live under increasing coercion, discrimination, marking and division into two civil societies-according to the ‘green mark (pass)’. Basic activities such as work, education, health and recreation – have become a luxury for only vaccinated people. And even then – temporary. Only some places allow the presentation of a negative test to COVID- every 72 hours (!)-the approval output sometimes puts out an output of all the medical tests you have done, recently it was announced that citizens who chose to do so will have to pay for the tests.  Yesterday, at the same time as the false publication that ‘all restrictions have been removed from the education systems’ – the Minister of Education announced that parents would be allowed to enter their children’s school or kindergarten area, only by presenting a ‘GP’.  A green pass will be required as well for attending graduation parties or trips and more.  We believe (myself as a lawyer and many more like me) – that this announcement probably has no legal basis, and it is not under authority – but the State of Israel is no longer a law-abiding democracy. The directive has already been implemented and the legal system does not provide an effective solution to stop this conduct. There is no functioning Government, or Knesset and there are no parliamentary committees to stop it. We were abducted to the dictatorship.  My message is simple: either the vaccine is effective – and then all the limitations have to disappear from our lives. Or it is ineffective – and there is no justification for the limitations that depend on it (green mark) anyway. There is no both ways.  Since we are now in a country that operates unprecedented coercive measures – you will not hear this message in the official media. Please help us pass it on to the citizens.  Lastly, I believe that Israel is the “pilot” that should serve as an example and *justification* for the whole world. If they convince the general public that there is “success” here, it will be done all over the world and then it will get worse for all of us.”

As “Malta’s top expert on coronavirus”, I would like to “Ask Charmaine” this important question:

“If Malta is monitoring Israel in order to hopefully follow in its footsteps, is also Malta becoming a country in the same situation as described by this lawyer for Israel?”

Thank you.

Yours truly,

Marica Micallef

Malta’s independent blogger on coronavirus and critical thinker.