Longer Lockdown Looming Large for Land Laid Low  

Israel’s Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Monday warned that Israel’s third national lockdown will not be ending anytime soon, saying the country has “climbed a high mountain, and it will be difficult coming down,” referring to the record-shattering rate of coronavirus infections and deaths in recent days. Edelstein and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday also were reportedly contemplating completely shuttering Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, the nation’s only point of entry that has remained somewhat open. After harsh criticism from health officials over the airport’s operation, Netanyahu attempted to shift the blame to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, claiming it was his interference that kept the government from closing it. The statement caused the AG to offer an extremely rare public denial, calling the accusations “completely false.” While Israel’s entire workforce and school system have been totally shut down for weeks, and even as two million people have been vaccinated, new coronavirus infections have only spiked in recent days. Almost 10% of all tests are positive, with hundreds dying in the past few days and thousands more in serious or critical condition.