Pfizer halts vaccine shipments; Gantz, go home

“Pfizer halts coronavirus vaccine shipments to Israel after country fails to pay” [1] If there was still need for one more proof of the unfitness of Benny Gantz to the office of prime minister, the latest spat over a NIS 7 billion package to keep Israel safe from COVID-19 is the final proof. This package, consisting of NIS 3.5 billion worth of vaccines and a NIS 3.5 billion budget increase for the health system to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, should have been approved without any delay, without any ifs and buts.

Gantz cancelled the meeting called to approve this package in retribution for Netanyahu’s refusal to approve a permanent appointment of a justice minister. Gantz does not know where the priorities of Israel lie and what every sound person knows: “Saving lives postpones Shabbat.”

It is not the first time that Benny Gantz displays his lack of political maturity: in a fiery conference held near the Gaza border [2], he said: “We will aim for the toppling of Hamas, take action to assassinate all Hamas leaders and go in with ground forces for however long we want.” In the same occasion, his partner in Blue & White, Gaby Ashkenazi, added: “We will hit headquarters, warehouses, operatives. Then we will fix the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Conquer Gaza, govern it and take care of the daily needs of a hostile population of 2 million inhabitants?

Benny Gantz should retire from the political arena. This way he will be remembered kindly as a former head of the Israel Defense Forces.

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[1] “Pfizer halts corona vaccine shipments to Israel after country fails to pay,” Jerusalem Post, April 5, 2021, reported by Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman and Rossella Tercatin.

[2] “Blue and White vows to invade Gaza, kill Hamas leaders if it commands the next war,” Times of Israel, August 6, 2019, reported by TOI staff.