US Mondoweiss Magazine: Coronavirus Reveals the Ugly Face of Institutional Racism

Professor of Communication Sciences at Adelphi University, Dr. Reem Dikwar, wrote an article highlighting “institutional racism” practiced against Arabs in Israel, in particular racism initiated by Benjamin Netanyahu. She said that “Coronavirus has revealed the ugly face of institutional racism”.

When Benjamin Netanyahu accused Arabs in Israel of being the least likely to abide by social distancing orders, he was lying against Palestinian citizens as spreaders of the disease to Jewish Israeli citizens.

Even though Arabs in Israel are represented relatively well among health professions, they are not represented in the Israeli Ministry of Health’s contingency planning committee (as Haaretz reports). In 2017, Arabs filled 12.4% of government health jobs, and made up 42% of nursing students, 38% of pharmaceutical professionals. In fact, health care in Israel has been described as a “model of genuine commonality between Arabs and Jews”. Yet, there is not a single governmental hospital in any of Israel’s Arab cities or towns. Additionally, the Arab communities residing in Israel have relatively very little access to Coronavirus test kits.

This reality contributes to the grief, anxiety and bitterness that I am experiencing as well as many others of all different backgrounds who believe in human dignity. Therefore, health agencies should work to live up to the core ideals of human helping.