The Meir Elbaz synagogue near Tel Aviv has a new rule. Only people who can get a green passport, Covid Israel ‘s new passport, can cross the threshold. If you do not have one of these precious passes, you will be ushered into the courtyard and must hear prayers through the open windows.
‘Enforcement is a hard rule but it is for a very good reason, and ultimately it is the kind of approach that will allow Israel to quickly return to regularity,’ Elbaz said. 29-year logistics manager.
Last week was a Jewish holiday on the theme of Purim carnival, when the entire congregation traditionally attends prayers in fancy dress. This is the highlight of the calendar for children and the space is usually filled with youngsters dressed up as princes, princesses, superheroes and animals, with the right once a year to do so much. of sound as they please.
But only adults can get a green pass and it’s hard to hear prayers from the courtyard, so Elbaz’s 18-month-old daughter – like all other children – stayed at home, with only her mother respect for calf’s clothing.
The keeper of the ‘green passport’ (proven to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus), will train at a gym in the Israeli coastal town of Tel Aviv, on 21 February
It is a good example of how the new virus test, introduced on February 21, is changing Israel. Anyone over the age of 16, the minimum age at which you can get the vaccine, can get the certificate sent by the government to their phone if they have been against Covid or got past the virus.
The certificate contains a QR code which, once scanned, checks Israeli health records to confirm that the custodian has received both doses of the Covid vaccine.
It can also be printed on paper, allowing the ultra-Orthodox smartphone-watching community to benefit from the scheme as well.
The government sees the system as playing a key role in opening up society to the success of their worldwide vaccination program, which includes public clinics. giving at least one and a half doses of the population.
The latest data show that the vaccine proves to be 94 percent effective. And for the first time in months, Israelis have gone to gyms and swimming pools last week, with access legally restricted for those who could display a green pass at the door.
A man prepares to swim in a pool, after entering the facility with his essential ‘green pass’, in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, on 21 February
The system will also be introduced at cafes, bars and restaurants as they are allowed to open in the coming weeks.
‘The opening of these places is huge because recreational activities like outdoor eating are a big part of our culture and we are all excited,’ said Joseph Gitler, chairman of Leket Israel, the national food bank. He said: ‘We’ve seen chefs and other furloughed restaurant staff turn up in our soup kitchens for food, and the opportunity to start our large hospitality department will do wonders there to reduce poverty. ‘
The unveiling of the passport for Ronit Arbel’s concert promoter is also welcomed.
She’s used to giving birth to gigs for the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and Eric Clapton but, thanks to the pandemic, it will be a while before she hosts other global images.
Instead it organizes concerts for local acts and, in another version, focuses on those that appeal to an older demographic.
With the majority of people who have received the vaccine so far – and therefore deserve a green pass – in the 60 – plus age group, Arbel ‘s target market is now older than the younger ones.
She has predicted that artists playing music from the 1950s and 60s could be close to content with booking a place.
She said: ‘All over the world, people are struggling with the loss of cultural events but I am now beginning to be optimistic, and think that the Israeli green pass will make the first revival. ‘
Ticket to bike: Holders of a banned green pass will show the confirmation of the vaccine before entering a concert for elderly people who have been vaccinated, organized by Tel Aviv region, 24 February
In fact, Tel Aviv held their first live cultural event for 11 months last Wednesday with a ‘green-only pass’ concert by singer Nurit Galron for federal seniors.
However, there is little sign of this resurgence at Bar-Ilan University’s vacant student union. But Rifat Sweidan, the man in charge of out-of-school programming, is confident that the green passes will bring the place to life within weeks.
‘For a year, students have barely seen each other but gone but this will lead them to study and communicate together again,’ he said.
The problem is that it was the student demographics – those in their late teens and early 20s – who were most concerned about Covid and therefore the slowest recipients of the vaccine since being offered. extend the injection from people over 60 to everyone over 16.
However, Sweidan is sure that young Israelis will soon come in to seek out the pleasures of normal life.
‘We set up a vaccination station on the campus last week and there was little demand – but now that people are seeing the value of a green pass, it will take many more pictures,’ he said.
‘After all, students really want to get back to restaurants, cafes, concerts and events, and they understand that the green pass is the way to go.’ Sweidan, an Israeli-Arab, also expresses a sense of joy among Muslim families as he jokes that they will be able to hold guests during Ramadan, unlike last year.
And some are already considering inviting green passes. ‘Ramadan starts in mid-April and I expect many of them will not be willing to host the passport holders, which I think will lead to another increase in vaccine levels over the weeks ahead, ‘he said.
The widening of the green gorge is already creating signs of life in Israel’s declining tourism industry. Tour company Geoff Winston said his phone has started ringing this week, with foreigners wanting to book trips to Israel.
‘After months of silence, I’ve had a couple of groups to plan trips, some as early as summer,’ he said.
‘They think the high percentage of Israelis have taken pictures and our green pass means they can visit and more or less come across people who have been vaccinated. ‘
But not everyone is happy. Some critics have argued that Israel is in a hurry to put in place a system that violates civil rights.
‘In principle it’s a good idea and I support vaccination – but the green pass discriminates against those who are not vaccinated for ideological or health reasons,’ said Jonathan Klinger, legal advisor for the Israeli Digital Rights Initiative.
It also has data protection concerns. While the government claims that it is not collecting data on where people use their green passports, it asks whether they can be trusted to resist the temptation.
But many of his protesters are not in a country that wants to take steps on the way back to normal.
Business leaders such as Paul Israel, executive director of the Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce, are particularly keen on the green pass. “The economy is booming and we can’t afford to wait,” he said.
He hosts dozens of high-end production companies in a typical year and is drawn to Israel by his advanced tech vision. It is encouraging that they will see the adoption of green passes early, and they will put the economy in a good position to kick back.
“Being one of the first countries to open up international travel will immediately boost the economy,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, Israel’s introduction of the world’s first Covid passport is widely followed internationally.
Observers note the concerns about civil liberties and the problems associated with unvaccinated children – but perhaps the surest sign of the success of the green pass is that it is targeted by criminals already.
Less than a week after the introduction of the green pass, the authorities became aware of the first attempts to create pressures.