Health official: In 2 weeks of peace with UAE more died than in 70 years of war

A top health official has condemned Israeli policy on flights to and from the United Arab Emirates in recent months, following the normalization agreement between the countries, Channel 13 reports.

Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Health Ministry’s public health department, is said to have told hospital chiefs that “In two weeks of peace [with the UAE] more people died than in 70 years of war.”

Israel and the UAE were never at war, and Channel 13 notes her comment may have been made half-jokingly, but has legs to stand on: The network says that from the beginning of December, 906 Israelis who returned from the UAE were diagnosed with coronavirus, leading to a total of 4,050 cases, including many cases of the more infectious UK variant.

Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis. (Courtesy)

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.