"This is a death sentence for the Kinneret": The battle over signs that will warn about the amoeba

Tiberias Mayor and Chairman of the Kinneret Cities Union, Yossi Naba'a, opposes the Health Ministry's demand to place warning signs about the Naegleria fowleri amoeba at Kinneret beaches, calling it "a death sentence for tourism in the Kinneret." This comes amid a drop of about 800,000 vacationers compared to last year, partly due to reports about the amoeba. Naba'a claims the decision is unilateral and based on unfounded fears, while experts argue the risk of infection in the open lake is negligible.

Tiberias Mayor and Chairman of the Kinneret Cities Union, Yossi Naba'a, launches a sharp attack against the Health Ministry's demand to place signs at Kinneret beaches detailing precautions against the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, known as the "brain-eating amoeba." Naba'a calls the demand "a death sentence for tourism in the Kinneret" and claims it will severely harm the tourism industry around the lake, which is in deep crisis. According to data from local authorities and the Kinneret Cities Union, during the High Holidays there was a dramatic drop of tens of percent in the number of vacationers compared to last year's High Holidays. The union's data indicates about 2.5 million vacationers since the beginning of the year at the union's 16 beaches, compared to 3.3 million last year – a decrease of about 800,000 vacationers. The main reasons for the decline are beach closures due to the 'Lion's Roar' war and the unfortunate incident of a child contracting the amoeba last September. The case that led to the guidelines is the death of a 9-year-old boy from Pardes Hanna, who was hospitalized in early September with acute meningitis after swimming at Kursi Beach. Prof. Moshe Gophen, former director of the Kinneret Research Laboratory, claims the chance of contracting the amoeba in the open lake waters is negligible, and that the source of infection should be sought in closed water systems. Naba'a emphasizes that the authorities are not taking public health lightly, but demands a professional and joint dialogue. The authorities have hired the services of Prof. Itamar Grotto, former deputy director general of the Health Ministry, to review the data. The Health Ministry stated that the risk of infection is very low, and that it is acting according to a globally accepted protocol.