In the year 2020, I learned that Israelis are particularly adept at two things: Telling Americans who to vote for in presidential elections and flaunting mask regulations.
As an avid and long-time reader of the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel and Tablet magazine, I have read countless articles on the failings of the Orthodox community in practicing social distancing and wearing masks.
But with the record number of Covid cases in Israel, I realized this mask-wearing problem was much more complex than the Orthodox community.
I started to wonder, “Genetic or behavioral?”
A nation of scientists, scholars and obsessive/compulsives not protecting their lives from a deadly communicable disease.
Outlandish behavior!
Is this a nation of testers of their fate living in the world capitol of Chutzpah?
Is this why we coined the word Chutzpah?
Yes psychologists have expounded, “That since the days of the 12 tribes, Jews needed a word to cover their craziness and their love of risk-taking.”
So when I read a headline in the Jerusalem Post (October 4, 2020), “Sex on the beach leads to four fines for violating coronavirus regulations.
My curiosity piqued.
I had to read more.
“…an employee at a closed restaurant saw a couple having sex on one of the tables set up in front of the restaurant. When security officers arrived at the scene, they realized it was the same couple that they had fined before. Once again, the couple was caught not wearing masks and the two were fined for violating coronavirus regulations…”
It struck me as strange that if the couple had been wearing masks while copulating on that restaurant table they would not have been fined.
The government certainly was taking mask wearing very seriously.
A profound Israeli message had been sent to all four corners of the world.
If you’re going to have sex on an Israeli beach you better wear a mask!
With that said, do Israelis seriously expect us to listen to their opinions about our upcoming election.
