Task Force Activities
The Bennett-Lapid government inaugurated this past June is both among Israel’s most tenuous, bringing together ideologically diverse parties, and the first governing coalition in Israel’s history to include an Arab party (Mansour Abbas’ Ra’am), raising many questions and interest about the implications for Arab society and Jewish-Arab relations. In the weeks since its formation, major decisions include internal passage of a government budget and parliamentary committee assignments have yielded sizable allocations for Arab society and influential political assignments for Arab Knesset members. If the proposed budget passes a full vote by the Knesset and government ministries on November 4th and the government holds, events of the recent weeks suggest that Arab socio-economic issues will be more prominent in the national political discourse.
As an increasing number of Israelis become eligible for a 3rd shot, efforts are still needed to get a first dose in the arms of 30% of Arab society.
After months of optimism for a “post-COVID” era, the Delta variant has unleashed another wave of infections and hospitalizations in Israel. As in the first cycles, Arab society in Israel presents unique challenges for prevention measures and higher vulnerability to the economic impact.