Israelis have started finding solace in hugging trees, after social distancing has forbidden them from embracing their loved ones. This initiative was started by Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority, to help its citizens overcome grief and a sense of detachment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this unpleasant corona period we recommend to people around the world to go out to nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love,” Orit Steinfeld, the authority’s marketing director, said in Apollonia National Park, to Reuters. This park is situated 15km north of Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital, and has become a hotspot for those who are craving physical contact. Tree-huggers such as Barbara Grant heeded the advice during a tour arranged by the Authority. “The most basic human need is for connection, for touching, for hugging,” she said, lamenting that, as a health precaution, she can’t hug her grandchildren. This campaign by Israel is following a similar initiative by Iceland’s forestry department in April. This has also been compared to the Chipko Movement that led the path to the Vanmahotsav celebrations in India.
After flattening a coronavirus infection curve in May, Israel has experienced a spike in new cases over the past several weeks. Following this, there were strict social distancing norms imposed, and masks have been made mandatory.
Meanwhile, Israel’s coronavirus cases stand at 40,632, while the death toll is at 365.