Israel is preparing to be divided in half starting next week, with the government creating a new privileged layer in society: the vaccinated.
Almost 50% of the population that chose to be vaccinated against Covid will receive a “green pass” one week after their second injection, as will those with presumed immunity after contracting the disease.
From Sunday, the pass will give access to gyms, hotels, swimming pools, shows and places of worship. Restaurants and bars will be included from the beginning of March.
For the rest, including children under 16 who are not eligible for coronavirus vaccines, many of the activities terminated during the one-year crisis will remain off-limits, although some will be available if they provide a negative coronavirus test.
“This is how the first stage will be in returning to their almost normal lives,” said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein this week. The pass is being launched on a mobile app that companies must scan on entering, and many Israelis are excited.
Itamar Weinberg, 18, expected 2020 to be a year to flee the country for a while, as he is due to be recruited into the army this year. He had planned to go on a safari in Tanzania last summer.
Weinberg said he was looking forward to the reopening. “I want my last few months of freedom before joining the army to be filled with night bars and teenage adventures par excellence.”
Israel’s record-breaking vaccination campaign has been observed by other governments who see it as a test case for what is to come. Initial data indicate that jabs are extremely effective in reducing infections and hospitalizations in the country of 9 million.
The green pass policy is the next step, although it has not yet been tested.
It is not yet known how Israel will properly implement the scheme. Three roadblocks saw blatant violations of the rules, with many frustrated cafe managers and shop owners opening despite the bans. These same companies will have the task of inspecting who enters or leaves.
The Ministry of Health is also concerned that vaccination documentation could be falsified and warned that anyone caught with a fake certificate could be fined 5,000 shekels (about £ 1,000).
Meanwhile, with limited information on how vaccinated people can still transmit the disease, concerns remain about how the change could lead to further contagion.
A hotel near the Sea of Galilee, the Hagoshrim Hotel and Nature, said it plans to open its pool and gym to the public on Sunday.
“Of course, the main problem will be the minor ones,” said the hotel’s director, Armin Grunewald, 53. “They cannot be vaccinated. Therefore, to go to the gym or pool twice a week, they will have to be tested twice a week. It looks problematic. “
While the green pass is a provisional method for reopening the economy, it serves another purpose in a country where everyone over 16 can be vaccinated free of charge – persuading people who have so far resisted receiving a vaccine. Daily vaccination rates fell this month, but started to pick up pace again this week, as details of the new pass were released.
The owner of Café Kalo in West Jerusalem said he was confused about how the green pass would work, but supported it in principle.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated, you’re not respecting me, so why should I respect you?” said Yaacov Ben Elul, 60 and vaccinated. “You are putting me and the rest of the people in danger.”
Israel has made provisional plans for the green pass to allow vaccinated people to go on vacation without isolation. He signed agreements with Greece and Cyprus for a spring rehearsal. However, how this will work is still being discussed. The vaccination certificate was renamed a green pass this week, instead of a “green passport”, which may have suggested that it was already useful for international travel.
Vaccination privileges have been considered in several countries, but the idea often elicits a backlash from privacy advocates and human rights groups. Germany’s ethics council, an independent body that advises the local government, recommended that no special conditions be given to vaccinees, which said it could encourage an “elbow mentality” that could lead to disturbances.
With an already highly uneven international vaccination drive, green passes, especially if related to travel, would see citizens of wealthier and more powerful nations first to enjoy the benefits.
Israel is already facing pressure on its vaccination campaign. Millions of Palestinians living under their control in the occupied territories are only now receiving the first batches of limited doses.
In Israel, Avichai Green, 32, said he was not vaccinated because, among other things, he did not trust the transparency of his government. He said the green passage was a “dangerous” stage and a “slippery slope”.
“Marking everyone who hasn’t vaccinated as a disease spreader, or limiting the movement of those who haven’t vaccinated, is a blow to human rights,” he said.
“It is something that did not exist here before,” he added. “It will create a separation between people.”