Arab Israelis make up 39% of infections over past day — report

Arab Israelis account for 39 percent of new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, even though only 16% of the country’s tests were conducted in Arab towns and cities, according to a new report by the Arab Emergency Commission.

Just a month ago, Arab Israelis seemed like a major success story in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. According to deputy coronavirus czar Ayman Seif, Arab Israelis constituted only 7% of the country’s infections in early October. Since then, however, the numbers have skyrocketed, with weddings and travel to the West Bank blamed as the main cause.

While Arab Israelis constitute around 20% of the country’s population, the community now accounts for 37.9% of Israel’s active coronavirus infections, today’s report says. The data doesn’t include Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

— Aaron Boxerman