The overriding sense in the country in general, and in Arab society in particular, is that we're in the same spot we were in on the eve of the second pandemic – the only difference being that most citizens are vaccinated with first, second and even third doses.
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A little over a month ago, no one identified the slippery slope on which Arab society was standing, ignoring its problems, as usual. Just as enforcement has been more robust than public relations since the outbreak of the pandemic, this time, too, the situation isn't much different than before. Essentially, it seems that Arab and Druze communities have functioned without any significant oversight or attention from government authorities, specifically the Health Ministry and IDF Home Front Command.
With that, we must also admit the truth: The problem isn't just institutional, rather also internal. Arab society is less disciplined when it comes to following laws and safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing protective masks. There have been two glaring examples. The first is that tens of thousands of Arab families have vacationed this summer in Turkey – the preferred holiday destination for Arab Israelis. Secondly, there has been no curb on mass gathering events such as weddings or funerals. As per custom in Arab culture, funerals are attended by thousands of people. All it takes is for one person to have the virus to infect dozens if not hundreds of others.
Additionally, the wedding season in Arab society is between April and October. This means thousands of weddings, each accompanied by one week to 10 days of celebratory events. The actual wedding ceremony could be attended by a thousand people if not more. These are indeed potential super-spreader events, the effects of which are then felt throughout the country.
Therefore, those in charge, including the local Arab municipalities, must address this issue immediately and urgently, before it's too late. With that, we mustn't punish the brides and grooms by canceling their days of joy, but we can impose restrictions that first and foremost safeguard them and their guests.
Thus far, the Health Ministry, the Home Front Command, and the government have failed, to say the least, to run successful public relations campaigns in Arab society, where similar to the rest of the country morbidity dropped to nearly zero. And yet, Heath Ministry officials and members of the Epidemiological Investigations Task Force also failed to identify the inherent dangers involved in traveling abroad, especially to Turkey, and large events, and should have been more cautious in reopening Ben-Gurion Airport.
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