Israeli PM: Omicron unstoppable but no need for 'hysteria'

Israel's prime minister says there's no need to panic over the ultra-contagious omicron variant

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday tried to calm Israelis anxious about the rapid spread of the omicron variant, insisting the government is managing the crisis better than most and ruling out a national shutdown.

Bennett said during an evening press conference that Israel was weathering an “unstoppable storm” of infection by protecting the most vulnerable people and keeping the economy open. He also called on people to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves, their children and older relatives.

More than 400,000 vulnerable Israelis — mostly people over 60 — have gotten a fourth coronavirus vaccination and hospitals are prepared for an influx of severe illness. Bennett argued that these steps are evidence the situation is under control.

“There’s no place for panic. There’s no place for hysteria. We will get through this together,” Bennett said, adding that the government is handling a once-in-a-lifetime crisis "in the right and responsible way."