Despite a long history of mistrust rooted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel’s Arab and Jewish citizens work and live together peaceably in many areas. For example, Israel’s health-care system has
long employed Arab and Jewish medical professionals side by side. Their cooperation was especially visible when the country confronted the COVID-19 pandemic, as health workers treated patients from each other’s communities.
Some far-right Jewish leaders have gained influence in recent years and tried to portray Arab citizens of Israel as
a security threat, linking them to extremist groups, such as
Hamas, that reject Israel’s legitimacy.