Social media, morning news and talk shows on Sept. 10 focused on the question of whether it is appropriate for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fly to Washington next week for the White House signing of Israel’s normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while the coronavirus pandemic rages uncontrollably throughout Israel. According to Netanyahu associates, he will be absent from the country for four whole days. The ceremony in Washington is scheduled for Sept. 15.

Netanyahu’s planned absence has been generating growing criticism over the timing of the trip and the decision to leave the country rather than devoting himself to curb the spread of the disease. The debate grew more heated this morning following the latest Health Ministry report that indicated that another record of daily infections had been broken in the previous 24 hours, with over 3,900 Israelis testing positive for the virus — compared with fewer than 1,000 in early July at the start of the pandemic’s second wave in Israel.

Along with these troubling statistics, Israel’s largest-ever government, formed in May to deal with the coronavirus crisis, continues to zigzag. Its performance is hobbled by persistent infighting between its two main components — the Likud and Blue and White parties — even as Netanyahu intensifies his attacks on the state prosecution and other law enforcement agencies.

No wonder then that Israelis witnessing this disarray keep losing trust in their government and its leader. The general sense is one of crippled governance and uncertainty, as reflected in the latest polls indicating an ongoing crisis of public trust in Netanyahu. Results of a Channel 13 poll aired Sept. 7 found that 65% of respondents are dissatisfied with his performance in handling the coronavirus crisis.