Israel's principled behavior in this time of viral chaos may pay dividends - Andrea Widburg

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by Andrea Widburg

A social media post from Israel's Foreign Ministry suggests that its efforts to fight coronavirus are having a positive effect throughout the Middle East.

On Monday, Israel's Foreign Ministry put out a social media message reminding the world that its employees are continuing to do their jobs. A picture accompanied the post, showing three young Israeli women, obviously attractive despite the masks they're wearing, standing before an Israeli flag and making hearts with their hands.

At the same time, the ministry tweeted the picture out in Arabic, with a more heartfelt wish for the continued health of those who believe in Allah. The response was both amazing and unexpected.

This is the picture that the Ministry tweeted out, with its English language text:

For Arab-language speakers, the Ministry didn't rely on the anodyne message that Israel's government is still hard at work despite the Chinese Virus. Instead, in Arabic, the Ministry said:

This is a message to you from Israel: We pray to Allah to protect the inhabitants of Arab countries.
The coronavirus that is spreading intensely in the world these days knows no borders, religions, and nationalities. We are all human beings; we are all brothers.

According to the Algemeiner, the post has garnered an extremely positive response from the Arab and Muslim world:

The post was viewed by approximately four million people in Arab countries, and received responses such as, "May Allah protect you and bless you."
One user from Iran called it a "beautiful message of solidarity and peace."
An Iraqi user posted, "Our hearts are with Israel and the world at large, in all its diversity, religions, and beliefs, to defeat this virus together."
A woman from Morocco wrote, "May Allah preserve everyone. Humanitarianism first and foremost. Perfect health to all the sick."
A Saudi Arabian user said, "Beautiful behavior, good neighborliness, love and the spread of peace are the way to heaven."
Other messages included, "A thousand congratulations to our cousins, and thanks" and "Long live Arab-Israeli brotherhood, we long for health and peace for all."
The Foreign Ministry also posted a poll asking if Arab users would use an Israeli-developed vaccine, with the majority answering "yes."

There were, of course, the usual hate-filled messages, but those are "dog bites man" stuff. It's the good things that resonate.

Two things may be affecting Muslims and Arabs as they look at Israel right now. First, while Iran spread the new plague, Israel has been working frantically to come up with vaccinations and treatments. Second, Israel is the only government in the Middle East working to help the Palestinians:

While Israel is working overtime with Palestinians to curb and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Arab states appear to be doing what they do best when it comes to helping their Palestinian brothers: nothing at all.
In the past few days, Israeli authorities delivered 200 coronavirus testing kits to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. In addition, Israeli and Palestinian professional teams have been working together to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Israeli authorities have also delivered another 200 coronavirus testing kits to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, despite the thousands of rockets and incendiary and bomb-carrying balloons that the ruling government, Hamas, has launched from there towards Israel.
In addition, Israeli authorities have coordinated the transfer of 20 tons of disinfectant material from Israeli factories to the Palestinian health sector. The material included chlorine and hydrogen peroxide, used for disinfection, preservation of hygiene and sanitation. These disinfectant materials are used for cleaning surfaces in open areas and help in cleaning closed areas, including mosques and churches.
It is worth noting that Egypt, which has a shared border with the Gaza Strip, did not send any test kits or disinfectant materials to the Palestinians living there.
Palestinians in Lebanon, meanwhile, are worried that the Lebanese authorities may use the coronavirus as an excuse to intensify restrictions even further on their refugee camps.

One day, perhaps, Muslims and Arabs will realize that their best friends in the Middle East aren't their co-religionists but are, in fact, the Israelis they hate with genocidal fury. Maybe the radical changes the Chinese Virus is already making in the world will be the catalyst the Muslims and Arabs need.

Andrea Widburg

Source: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/03/israels_principled_behavior_in_this_time_of_viral_chaos_may_pay_dividends.html

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