Yuval Karmi, the felafel store owner whose tears moved the nation, becoming a symbol of the severe economic distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, was hospitalized on Sunday due to a heart attack.
Karmi went to the Kaplan Medical Center in Rechovot on Sunday complaining of chest pains and was being treated in the emergency room when he suffered the heart attack, a Channel 13 News report said. According to Karmi’s doctor, the heart attack could have been caused by the stress of the past two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Karmi, an Ashdod resident, was interviewed about a month ago by a news team about his dismal economic situation after he was forced to close his falafel store due to the lockdown.
Karmi’s unreserved distress and tears brought the news team to tears and when the show was aired that night, his plight brought thousands more Israelis to tears. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heard about the interview and personally called Karmi and reassured him that he will receive the financial help he needs from the government.
Karmi said that although his story led to an outpouring of support from the public, he also was subject to negative reactions.
“In the emergency room, someone recognized me and said hello,” said Karmi. “Her husband approached and asked her if she knows me and she said: ‘Yes, it’s the crybaby from TV.'”
“It hurt, my heart exploded,” said Karmi, adding that he was denigrated on social media, with some people even saying that his crying was an act to draw customers.
“My wife and children would come home and cry every evening. They would see what written about us on Facebook, that we’re rich and I’m a liar and a cheater.”
Currently, fast food stores and restaurants can only provide delivery or take-out service and are forbidden from seating patrons on their premises.
However, according to a news report on Sunday, an agreement was reached between the economy and health ministries that will likely lead to restaurants being allowed to open before Shavuos, which falls out on Thursday night next week.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
I’m not so sure that financial stress is the sole stressor that caused this unfortunate man’s heart attack. It might well have been the heartache of public shaming. Chazal do tell us that lashon hara kills. We know that ona’as devarim is sh’fichus damim.
There are those who might attribute Hashem closing our shuls to disrespecting His palace by talking or using one’s smartphone in shul; the closing of our mosdos chinuch due to gaiva-driven exclusive policies; disabling anything but the most minimal simcha celebrating as a result of excesses where people spend what they don’t have and create social pressure for others to follow suit; social distancing so that we make a cheshbon hanefesh in our bein adam le’chaveiro, I’m wondering if perhaps this worldwide megeifa is a result of worldwide social media bullying and shaming in which endless streams of cruel put-downs travel through cyberspace in milliseconds from one end of the earth to the other and everywhere else in between.