Israel’s remarkable ability to deal with the corona crisis cannot be explained by simply adding up the numbers or looking at charts about tests, infections or fatalities. Rather it is the collective memory and identity of the Jewish people that is now playing a far greater role in coping with and overcoming the perils of this current threat and all future threats to the survival of the Jewish nation.

Our story goes back to Abraham, when we became a chosen people. In this role we had to face Pharaohs, Hamans, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, the UN, antisemitism, and the wrath of 350 million neighboring Muslims. These ongoing national threats to its survival have forced Israel into becoming a closely knit and resilient people.

For a nation that is oft-cited for its disorder and lack of self-control, Israel has responded to the corona pandemic with remarkable compliance. They have submitted to a complete shutdown of the entire country with barely a peep, and become a model to other nations of how to keep the contagion under control. Today they are already...