The coronavirus pandemic showed Israel's health workers at their finest.
Everyone worked shoulder to shoulder, fully committed to saving lives risking their own safety for a common purpose.
Doctors and nurses, Arabs, and Jews, all medical professionals worked tirelessly because that is who we are. Regardless of our tribal affiliation.
Our joint concern for the families of those struck by COVID-19 did not differentiate between sectors of the society. We the citizens of this country, Jewish Christian, and Muslims shared the same fate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saluted the medical workers, time and again in his televised addresses and took pride in our willingness to fight for every life impacted by the virus.
"I have seen doctors who were taken ill by coronavirus and like soldiers on the battlefield went back into the hospitals to treat patients. Doctors, nurses, and the medical staff were incredible and we salute them," he said.
And just like soldiers are commended after a war, health teams, we are told would be commended after their relentless fight against the virus.
That is a very nice gesture but we just have one request from those wishing to bestow honors upon us. Before you do that, please just fulfill your moral duty to us, to the thousands of doctors, nurses and medical professionals, medics, ambulance drivers, and others, many of whom were exposed to the virus and forced into quarantine. Pay us for the days we were obliged to stay away. The government had approved the payment, but the Finance Ministry is withholding it and we have found that the days in quarantine have been struck from our paychecks.
Dr. Zeev Feldman is Chairman of the Doctors Association