Israel and COVID-19: The politics of health, security, and government formation

Israel has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, though not as seriously as other countries in the region. As of 10 June 2020, coronavirus casualties in the country stood at 299, but a June uptick in infections has generated uncertainty. Israel has also put to use highly contested means, setting aside personal rights and protections to a larger degree than other democracies, allowing the repurposing of anti-terror surveillance tools to track infection cases, and giving its intelligence service leeway in helping procure medical equipment. The Israeli situation – with hundreds of thousands of its citizens living in occupied territory – is complex, and the management of the pandemic has exposed pre-existing inequalities both within Israel itself, and between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.