Good job, Israel

It’s been nearly two weeks since Israelis have been gradually forced to undertake one of the most daunting tasks ever asked of us – to completely change our way of life, stop going to work, stop seeing family members, stop going outside.

For some, the coronavirus crisis has come with grave financial and emotional hardship. Unemployment has reached epic proportions, with numbers swiftly approaching a million citizens out of work. The self-employed and small business owners are suffering even more, with no mechanism yet in place to help them over this undefined and open-ended period of no income. Whenever the situation eases, whether it be a matter of weeks or months, a comprehensive and sympathetic plan to get the country and economy back on its feet will be essential.

Many older people, living by themselves, are isolated by themselves, unable to see their children, go out to shop and meet their contemporaries. Their children and grandchildren worry about their well-being, with the knowledge that by actually visiting them in the flesh, they would be exposing them to possible infection.

New regulations that went into effect Wednesday at 5 p.m. have further intensified the restrictions placed on the public, including a ban on walking more than 100 meters from home.

As a nation, we’ve never experienced a closure like this, one that has taken away many of the facets of daily freedoms that we take for granted. Although in the general scope of things, being forced to stay inside, with food, shelter, cable TV, PlayStation and books is nothing compared to a real loss of freedom, it’s still a shock and difficult adjustment for a huge majority of the country.

So, that’s why it’s time to say “kol hakavod” (great job) and to urge everyone to give themselves a collective pat on the back. So far, people have behaved in an exemplary manner in response to the increased demands made upon it by Health Ministry directives. Collectively, we’re doing a great job at adjusting to and adhering to the regulations.

There hasn’t been rampant hoarding at supermarkets like seen in other countries, in general people are adhering to the rules of keeping two meters apart and staying home unless they need to go out for food, pharmaceuticals or vital work. And, as an unexpected bonus, the crisis has forced us to finally learn how to stand in a line, instead of crowding around each other.

Children home from school, and their parents, are being prodded into finding creative ways to occupy their time, and for once, cleaning for Passover is ahead of schedule in many households.

In addition, the beautiful side of society is managing to shine through. Grassroots movements have been signing up people to adopt a lone elder or disabled person, making sure they have enough food and being in touch with them on a daily basis. And like in other countries hit by this plague, Israelis are taking to their balconies and sharing music, stories and cheering each other up.

Sure, there’s vast room for improvement in our adherence to the severe restrictions on our lives, especially in the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and Arab sectors, which are taking longer to internalize the urgency and seriousness that the virus poses and what not adhering to the directives will lead to.

But as the restrictions continue to intensify, and they probably will, and police begin to enforce them, the nation collectively will have no choice but to abide by them.

As we wrote in Thursday’s editorial, we are at war. And only through unity and perseverance will we be able to defeat this invisible enemy. These first two weeks have shown remarkable resilience and a sense of dedication by the Israeli people.

As those two weeks grow into many weeks and possibly months, the challenge will be to keep a sense of optimism and a feeling of collective destiny at the forefront. Based on how we’ve behaved so far, we will face this trying time with dignity for one another, obedience to the rules and we will be more grateful for the liberties that we take for granted.

We need to believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that it will shine down on us when the time is right. And we will emerge from this crisis and rebuild our lives and our nation.