Interview on Turkish TRT World: Covid-19 and the Ultra-Orthodox Community in Israel
Turkish Global television asked me to explain why the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community in Israel seems to be most susceptible to covid-19 (coronavirus). I explain that among other reasons, this is a tight-knit, community-oriented community with large families and who live in small apartments and cramped neighborhoods. Moreover, due to their self-isolation from society, they tend to lack awareness of what is happening outside their societies and therefore were largely unaware of what was taking place throughout the country and the world. Lastly, this is a community which tends to feel singled out, whether rightly or wrongly, for their unique way of life by the state. I conclude that the community is by and large abiding by the health department regulations, although it started catching on over a week if not more than the rest of the country, to its detriment.
