David Passig is a professor of futures studies, an academic discipline that takes a systematic and pattern-based look at the past and present in order to determine the likelihood of future events and trends.

Prof. Passig is a faculty member at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, where he teaches at the Graduate School of Education: Systems Theories, Future Methodologies, technological, social and educational futures.

Given his background and credentials, and the current fear everyone is feeling over the unanswered questions surrounding the outbreak of the coronavirus, we felt he could provide some much-needed insight regarding what’s happening now, and what’s likely to happen in the near future.

Israel Today: Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel is better off and better prepared than most countries. Is this true?

Prof. Passig: Israel has two advantages over other countries in the fight against the coronavirus. We are trained in emergencies. Our systems can withstand long periods of crisis; We are communal. There are many communities...