Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev (Labor) said on Saturday that his recommendation to the coronavirus cabinet is to postpone the beginning of the school year to October 1.
"My recommendation to the corona cabinet was to begin the school year on October 1, " Bar Lev said. "I don't understand the logic behind the decision to begin on September 1st when there are only six school days in the entire month, with the infection curve looking like it is at this point," he said.
Israeli schools go on statutory vacation during the three Jewish fall holidays. The holidays begin in the evening but schools are off on those days too. The holidays are Rosh Hashana (September 6 to 8), Yom Kippur (15-16), and Sukkot (20-29).
Bar Lev's remarks came in response to questions from Yoav Krakovsky of KAN at a Saturday cultural event in north Tel Aviv.
"Children under the age of 12 and unvaccinated teens are the main spreaders of the Delta variant, and therefore postponing the beginning of the school year will help flatten the infection curve during September," Bar Lev added.
"The cabinet has not accepted my recommendation yet, but my assumption is that just like with the Green Tag, where I called for the cabinet to act two weeks before it actually did, in this case my recommendation will eventually be accepted," he said.
The school year is currently supposed to begin on September 1 as usual. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett approved a plan to start the school year presented to him on last week by the Health, Education and Finance ministries.
The plan, which must still be approved by the coronavirus cabinet, consists of five layers of protective actions to help keep COVID-19 out of the school system: serological tests, rapid antigen testing, the "Green Classroom" program where students or faculty members who come in contact with a sick student undergo testing for seven days, coronavirus testing once a week in red and orange areas, and lifestyle changes which include donning masks, abiding by social distancing, maintaining good hygiene and learning in open areas when possible.