Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Ra’anana on Friday for one of his final rallies before the upcoming elections on Tuesday.
Tensions at the gate barring the entrance were tight and anti-Netanyahu protesters threatened violence. One even pulled a lighter, as though it were a knife, at the rally participants.
In his opening remarks, Netanyahu began by encouraging his supporters to remain strong despite the violence and tensions. He told them that Likud must bring home as many votes as possible so that it can gain the 61 seats and succeed in making the next coalition.
“We are leaving the third world war, as Jews, in first place,” Netanyahu emphasized in his speech, referring to Israel’s leading strategy in the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has “Targeted the entire world and caused whole economies to crash, [but] we have won the third world war and come out first in the merit of our vaccinations,” he added.
The country has managed to vaccinate 90% of the at risk population thus far, leading Netanyahu to say that there will not be another lockdown. Israel has become the, “Champions of vaccination,” in Netanyahu’s words.
“Netanyahu has given his life to the country. He got the vaccines and decided it will be at the forefront of the cure. He should be praised for his foresight,” Ra’anana resident and attendee of the rally, David Dweck shared with The Jerusalem Post.
"In Europe you can’t make restaurant reservations because everything is closed down, but in Israel you can’t because the restaurants are booked,” Netanyahu joked.
If he wins the elections, the prime minister intends to make a deal with Pfizer and import more vaccines in the case that two doses will not be sufficient for future immunity. He wishes to avoid another wave of the pandemic and keep Israel’s population safe from the risk.
Additionally, Netanyahu is considering buying up vaccines, so that Israel can become the main distributor to other countries, ensuring it keeps its advantage over the rest of the world.
“I want to turn Israel into the strongest force of vaccinators in the world,” he announced.
Research in the US placed Israel at the front of successful vaccinations and showed that the country is faring much better economically than most democratic countries, according to the prime minister.
Netanyahu promised that he will keep it that way, so that Israel will not only be ahead in vaccinations, but also in rebuilding its economy. If he wins the coming elections, he claimed he would revive the economy with the same ferocity as he did in bringing the vaccinations to Israel.
His plan includes coronavirus grants of NIS 750 for adults and NIS 500 for children as well as extra aid and insurance to small businesses. This will be at the top of his priorities should he win the next election.
Supporters at the event expressed their gratitude for Netanyahu’s coronavirus-based approach and the sacrifices he has made to bring the country out of the pandemic.