Israeli officials on Tuesday expressed concern that the holy month of Ramadan, which hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide will mark starting on April 24, will cause a flare-up of the coronavirus.
The Arab world is struggling to keep the pandemic at bay, with Iran hit the hardest by it. The Islamic republic has recorded 60,500 cases and nearly 4,000 deaths, but western experts believe the actual numbers are higher.
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In Israel, authorities have made sure to make information and every form of assistance available to the Arab sector, but compliance with the Health Ministry's prevention directives, especially with respect to social distancing, has been slow.
As of Tuesday morning, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel was 9,006. Sixty Israelis have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and 683 have recovered from it.
Health Ministry officials have expressed concerns that the considerable efforts Israel has invested to "flatten the curb" of infections will be severely compromised if all Ramadan customs are observed as always during the pandemic.
Large gathering for prayer and particularly family gatherings for the daily breaking of the Ramadan fast are a key part of Muslim tradition during the holiday, as is the custom of visiting the elderly – a group that is particularly vulnerable to the virus.
A senior Arab Israeli official told Israel Hayom that it was only in recent days that the Health Ministry began to consult with senior officials in the sector about how to successfully weather Ramadan with minimal impact on religious customs but with maximal compliance with public health directives.
Joint Arab List MKs were also weighing in on the issue, he said, noting that there is a consensus about the need for a comprehensive information campaign.
Still, at this time, no government plan has been devised to address the challenge the holy month of Ramadan poses with respect to the fight against the coronavirus.
"What we're seeing in Bnei Brak is nothing compared to what can happen in the Arab sector during Ramadan," he warned, referring to the ultra-Orthodox city in central Israel placed under military-enforced quarantine.
The measure proved necessary after the residents of the Haredi city refused to adhere to Health Ministry directives, and the community turned into a coronavirus hotspot. Ministry officials said this week that at least 75,000 people of the 200,000 who reside in Bnei Brak could be infected.
Many European and Arab countries share similar concerns, fearing that the Muslim public will flout social distancing directives, which would inevitably lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates.
Some Arab media have called on senior Muslim clerics to issue edicts prohibiting mass prayer services in mosques and scaling back any Ramadan-related events.
