(Israel Hayom via JNS) – Israeli officials on Monday, April 6 expressed concern that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide will mark starting on April 24, will cause a flare-up of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. Israeli authorities have made sure to make information and every form of assistance available to the Arab sector, but compliance with the Ministry of Health’s prevention directives, especially with respect to social distancing, has been slow. Israeli Health Ministry officials have expressed concerns that the considerable efforts Israel has invested to “flatten the curve” of infections will be severely compromised if Ramadan customs are observed as usual. Large gatherings for prayer, and family gatherings for the breaking of the daily Ramadan fast, are a key part of Muslim tradition during the holiday. Joint Arab List Knesset members were also weighing in on the issue, said an unnamed official, who added that there is a consensus about the need for a comprehensive information campaign.

“What we’re seeing in Bnei Brak is nothing compared to what can happen in the Arab sector during Ramadan,” warned the official, referring to the ultra-Orthodox city in central Israel under military-enforced quarantine. The measure proved necessary after the city’s residents refused to adhere to Health Ministry directives, and the community turned into a coronavirus hotspot. Ministry officials said this week that at least 75,000 people of the 200,000 who reside in Bnei Brak could be infected.

Many European and Arab countries share similar concerns, fearing that the Muslim public will flout social-distancing directives, which would inevitably lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates.