Arab Israelis Offended by Coronavirus Czar’s Comments

Leaders of the Arab Israeli community took offense at comments made by Dr. Ronni Gamzu, the nation’s coronavirus czar, who urged them to take the reins in efforts to fight the disease when the number of cases severely spiked after the Eid al-Adha holiday. Asserting that the Arab sector “almost carried out an attack that would have resulted in hundreds of patients” flooding hospitals during and after the holiday, Gamzu said in an interview to the YNet news platform that “gatherings, riots, parties, complacency, apathy – thinking coronavirus would not hurt them” led to the virus spreading within the community “like a mass terror attack.” He exhorted community leaders to not wait for the government but to take control and seek help from the Israeli military’s Home Front Command and the Health Ministry.