Situational brief on Israel – EN

In Israel, as in other countries, the COVID-19 outbreak highlights existing structural inequities, which compromise the health of some migrant groups. The Israeli case also demonstrates how strong NGOs successfully advocate for the protection of migrants‘ health amidst the crisis, made possible by a certain level of cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Health. Hence, measures for COVID-19 preparedness in Israel‘s marginalized migrant communities mostly result from pressure from civil society, against the backdrop of a generally exclusionary approach toward migrants. Over time, the Israeli Ministry of Health thus shifted from acknowledging the need to include migrants in preparedness measures toward the realization that particular needs and circumstances among migrant communities in some instances require special responses. Given a legacy of neglect and exclusion, this creates challenges for both the authorities and the migrant communities.