+972 Magazine in the time of pandemic

A letter from +972's Editor-in-Chief to our readers about our coronavirus coverage and ongoing mission.

Shoppers walk through Tel Aviv's Carmel Market after the Israeli government ordered all bars, restaurants, and malls to close in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Shoppers walk through Tel Aviv's Carmel Market after the Israeli government ordered all bars, restaurants, and malls to close in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Dear readers,

Over the last few weeks, the world has transformed almost beyond recognition. We have all been trying to adapt to these changes as new ones arrive at an ever-faster pace. We still do not know how to assess and grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic or what kind of long-term impact it will have.

Here in Israel-Palestine we are witnessing a dystopian reality created by emergency regulations, in effect since Israel was founded in 1948, in tandem with military rule in the occupied territories and an ongoing political deadlock. After freezing most of the activities of the courts and delaying Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-awaited trial, Israel’s interim government circumvented the Knesset and allowed the country’s security services to begin the mass surveillance of coronavirus patients or those suspected of being infected.

At a time when so many of us are confined to our homes for the foreseeable future — including the +972 staff — we would like to express our solidarity with all of you, our readers, and wish you and your loved ones good health and peace of mind. 

We would also like to update you about changes here at +972 Magazine. We are constantly making sure our reporters and contributors work on their stories by interviewing people over the phone, going into the field only when absolutely necessary and with the proper precautions.  

In addition, we want to share with you the guidelines we have come up with for reporting about the coronavirus:

Our first rule is to prevent exaggerated panic. We will, as ever, be maintaining our stringent fact-checking processes in order to tackle the spread of disinformation, while doing our best to avoid unnecessarily alarmist language and taking extra care to choose our headlines and photos so as not to fuel hysteria. 

Second, in line with our overall mission, we will continue to pay attention especially to marginalized communities in Israel-Palestine, and particularly those hit hardest by the crisis. We will be highlighting the stories pushed to the sidelines, the voices missing from the mainstream media, the critical perspectives on socioeconomic policies, and the threats to democracy and human rights at a time of pandemic and emergency regulations. 

Third, we would like to offer you some solace and hope, to provide tools to cope in these challenging times, and reminders that this too shall pass. We want to create a sense of refuge by going back to some of the best long reads we’ve published on the site, while continuing to bring you stories about arts and culture in Israel-Palestine, and shedding light on opportunities for solidarity and a sense of community. 

If you have any suggestions for coverage, stories we should be reporting on, or any other feedback, please always feel free to write us at: info@972mag.com

We are here for you, now more than ever.

In solidarity,

Edo Konrad
Editor-in-Chief