Many things have changed because of the pandemic. The Kosel looks like this now.
Despite a futile attempt by the Opposition, backed by the media, to rake in political capital regarding the decision allowing the entrance of students to Israel, Professor Roni Gamzu, the government advisor heading the fight against Covid 19, decided this past Monday to allow the entry to Israel of thousands of foreign students coming to study in yeshivos and other educational institutions.
According to the announcement from the Health Ministry, the discussions included Yitzhak Herzog, Jewish Agency chairman; Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef, head of the Population Authority; Dr. Ashi Salmon from the Health Ministry and representatives from Malag.
According to data presented at the meeting, the permits allow 2,000 students who will be coming to study in universities, with some 5000 participating in Project Masa, 500 participating in Project Naale and 1,500 students enrolled in private institutions, alongside some 12,000 yeshiva students. They are not expected to come all in one wave, nor is it certain how long they intend to remain. The premise is that their entry to the country will be staggered throughout the year, under condition that their institutions adhere to the requirements of quarantine and capsule groups of up to 6 students apiece.
Their entry will be conditional to a two week quarantine, after which they will be allowed to enter their chosen institution which have been authorized by the Health Ministry for study in groups of six.
To date, 31 institutions have been certified out of the 183 which filed requests. The Health Ministry stressed that they will be vigilant in monitoring the fulfillment of its requirements of quarantine and will obligate the administrators of those establishments to abide by them strictly.
Professor Gamzu has directed the people from the Health Ministry to keep an ongoing and very strict supervision to assure that there be no irregularities regarding the institutions, ordering that special supervisors be hired for that purpose. Gamzu also stressed that "during this complex period, one must keep a good balance between watchfulness over the public health and preservation of the values of the state vis a vis world Jewry as a whole."
It should be noted that in spite of the fact that at the end of this past week, the National Project Manager's tone was different after he had already criticized the decision in an interview made on the News 12 broadcast, where he said that "one must be wise in preventing any further incendiary."
On Monday, however, in a prep talk with reporters, Gamzu clarified that he had been misled by certain figures and that he retracts certain things he said and even chooses to publicize an official statement regarding his decision to allow the outlined scheme, knowing well that he would be attacked for it by political bodies and by the media, but he chooses the path of truth. "I will not tire from acting honorably and with truth," he clarified.
