It was an unusual press conference for a Friday afternoon, just before the start of the Sabbath Nov. 26. A stern-faced Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appeared before the cameras to announce that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus had reached Israel from South Africa and recommended that Israelis avoid flying overseas because of it.

With Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz at his side, Bennett told the public that the government was even considering shutting down Israeli airspace. In a dramatic tone, he said that the country is facing an entirely new situation with this new variant of the virus, and that it is especially worrying. Then, just a moments later, he congratulated himself on his rapid response to the situation. “The good news,” he said, “is that Israel woke up early. The first in the world. Our entire system is on alert, all our headquarters are ready and open. We won’t take risks. It is better to act quickly and decisively now, than to procrastinate with our decision-making and to wake up when Israel is already inundated with cases and entirely 'red.'”

Bennett still sounded worried at the beginning of his weekly Cabinet meeting Nov. 28. He called on Israelis to be patient and show restraint, and expressed empathy for the general population, saying, “I understand the weariness of living under the shadow of the coronavirus. It’s not easy for anyone, but it is the reality. … I know people may need to change their vacation destination or quarantine on arrival. It's happened in my family too.”

Evidently, Bennett wanted to send a message that the country was entering an emergency situation, due to the latest, unexpected development in the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, he also wanted people to feel he has the situation under control, and that he would not hesitate to impose restrictions if necessary. If the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was the first major test of Bennett’s leadership, he seemed to be managing the crisis well.