Bennett circulates audio clip in which he calls on older Israelis from all sectors of society to get the 3rd dose of vaccine immediately

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in an audio clip that was circulated this afternoon called on older Israeli citizens from all sectors of society who have yet to be inoculated with the third dose of the vaccine to get vaccinated immediately. The recording was distributed on hundreds of WhatsApp groups in Hebrew, Arabic and Russian as part of the increased public information efforts.

Following are Bennett's remarks:

"Hello, this is Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday afternoon, the 13th of August.

From here, I am appealing to older people, mainly those 60 and over, but also those 50 and over, who have yet to be inoculated with the third dose of the vaccine, the booster:

Your lives and your health are very important to me; however, as long as you are not inoculated with the third dose of the vaccine, your lives are in danger.

Therefore, you are being called upon to go immediately and get inoculated, and until the third dose takes effect, around five or six days after the injection, you must watch yourselves very closely.

Last week, 78 Israeli citizens passed away. Seventy-six of them were over 60 and none of them had completed the three doses of the vaccine.

The third dose of the vaccine provides protection.

The third dose of the vaccine is critical for all ages because there is a certain weakening of the vaccine from month to month. The third dose 'recharges' the body with a very powerful defense against the Delta strain.

You, citizens of Israel, are the only people in the world that has a third dose of the vaccine at your disposal. This is not a given.

We have done this in order to safeguard your health, and keep the Israeli economy open and guard Israeli citizens' livelihoods.

Therefore, you, older citizens and their families, take responsibility for your lives: Call your HMO now or simply go straight to the vaccination center, even without an appointment.

Until then, keep your distance from other people, and I am certain that you will succeed in watching yourselves.

Shabbat Shalom."

(GPO)