Israel’s Bennett Tests Negative for COVID-19 after Daughter Infected

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the weekly cabinet meeting in Kibbutz Mevo Hama in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, December 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the weekly cabinet meeting in Kibbutz Mevo Hama in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, December 26, 2021. (Reuters)
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Israel’s Bennett Tests Negative for COVID-19 after Daughter Infected

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the weekly cabinet meeting in Kibbutz Mevo Hama in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, December 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the weekly cabinet meeting in Kibbutz Mevo Hama in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, December 26, 2021. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tested negative on Sunday for COVID-19 after his 14-year-old daughter was infected by the coronavirus, his office said.

Bennett had left the weekly meeting of his cabinet and headed home to self-isolate after learning of his daughter's positive test, which came amid fast-spreading infections in Israel caused by the Omicron variant.

Bennett later took a PCR test, which came out negative, but decided to remain in isolation for the time being as a precaution, his office said in a statement. Bennett received a vaccine booster shot on Aug. 20.

The premier's daughter had been vaccinated against COVID-19, his office said. It did not disclose whether she had been infected by Omicron or the Delta variant also prevalent in Israel.

Bennett drew public criticism after his wife and children went on holiday abroad early this month, despite his calls for Israelis to help stem Omicron's spread by cancelling plans to fly overseas.

His government later approved measures barring Israelis from traveling to most countries. Those edicts were preceded by an Israeli ban on the entry of foreigners. Israel has reported 1,118 confirmed cases of Omicron, with the number of people infected by the variant now doubling every two days.



Spanish Foreign Minister Calls for Weapons Embargo on Israel 

Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
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Spanish Foreign Minister Calls for Weapons Embargo on Israel 

Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (Reuters) 
Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (Reuters) 

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on Tuesday for a weapons embargo on Israel while the war in Gaza lasts and urged the resumption of talks on Iran's nuclear program.

"We are the largest trade partner of Israel in the world, the European Union," he said on Bloomberg TV. "We must impose, for our European partners, an arms embargo, not to sell weapons to Israel as long as this war continues."

He said he wanted the EU to act as it did after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to try to achieve peace.

The minister regretted there were no signs of de-escalation between Israel and Iran and called for a resumption of dialogue with Iran on its nuclear program.