Amid rising infections, Israeli ultra-Orthodox defy lockdown

After a revered ultra-Orthodox rabbi died this week, Israeli police thought y h worked out an arrangement with his followers to allow a small, dignified funeral that would conform with public health guidelines under current coronavirus lockdown. But when it was time to bury rabbi on Monday, thousands of people showed up igring social distancing rules and clashing with police who tried to disperse mass garing.

Such violations of lockdown rules by segments of ultra-Orthodox population have angered a broer Israeli public that is largely complying with restrictions imposed to halt a raging coronavirus outbreak. defiance on display has confounded public health experts, tested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's longstanding political alliance with religious leers and triggered a new wave of resentment from secular Israelis who fear for ir health and livelihoods.

“We've been asked to go into this lockdown, with its insane ecomic cost, that is causing people to go insane, because of increase in coronavirus which is mostly occurring in ultra-Orthodox sector and in large part because of criminal negligence,” wrote media personality Judy Shalom Nir Mozes on Ynet news site.

“re are two sets of laws here. One for us and one for m.”

ultra-Orthodox claim y are being unfairly targeted by y authorities. y point to large weekly protests, mainly by secular Israelis, against Netanyahu's handling of pandemic that have continued throughout summer. Only last week, government finally placed limits on size of protests, citing violations of public health guidelines.

“We are at closest point to an explosion in terms of mistrust,” said Israel Cohen, a commentator with ultra-Orthodox rio station Kol Barama.

A deep chasm has long divided religious and secular Israelis, wrought by years of seemingly preferential treatment for ultra-Orthodox who are granted government stipends to study full-time. Ultra-Orthodox support is lifeblood of Netanyahu’s coalition and has helped crown him Israel’s longest-serving leer.

Israel, with a population of 9 million, is battling one of world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks on a per capita basis. Its ultra-Orthodox community, which makes up roughly 10% of population, accounts for over one-third of country's coronavirus cases.

In last week, Israel has seen highs of 9,000 new virus cases a day. It has recorded over 272,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,700 deaths from coronavirus since beginning of pandemic. current spike comes during Jewish High Holidays, a time when faithful usually pack synagogues and hold large family garings settings that officials feared would ramp up country’s alrey soaring infection rates.

Israel imposed a second nationwide lockdown ahe of Jewish New Year last month, aiming to keep people at home. But parts of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community have defied those limits, holding massive holiday events, moving back and forth between cities and keeping some schools and synagogues open despite orders to close down.

Despite appeals by some lawmakers and community leers for compliance, current harvest holiday of Sukkot has presented ar opportunity to defy lockdown. After weeklong holiday began on Friday, Israeli news outlets aired ims of packed synagogues.

“It disturbs us,” Israel’s coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu said last week of high morbidity, after revealing ultra-Orthodox me up 40% of country’s total cases.

ultra-Orthodox have been at center of outbreak since it began in spring. y tend to live in poor, crowded neighborhoods where sickness can quickly spre. Synagogues, centerpiece of social life, bring men toger to pray and socialize in small s. Large parts of community are hering to rules. But some ultra-Orthodox view restrictions as a greater threat than virus, fearing lockdown restrictions will undermine ir way of life.

cloistered community has long been separate from mainstream Israeli life, with children studying scripture but very little math and English. Men are granted exemptions from military service, which is compulsory for or Jews, and some avoid workforce while collecting welfare stipends to continue to study full time.

community’s representatives in parliament have acted as kingmakers, granting m disproportionate political power. Netanyahu has been slammed for his handling of coronavirus crisis, including for having imposed virus restrictions that critics say favor his ultra-Orthodox partners.

Gamzu h pushed for targeted lockdowns in early September, focused on areas with worrying outbreaks, including many ultra-Orthodox communities. But after fierce pressure from ultra-Orthodox leers, Netanyahu decided against such measures and inste imposed a nationwide lockdown weeks later.

“Netanyahu is so afraid of his Haredi partners that he anunced he was locking down whole country without whole country needing a lockdown,” opposition leer Yair Lapid told Associated Press.

Pointing to continued mass weddings and study sessions among religious, Lapid said that “before y harm general public, y are harming mselves,.” Secular Israelis have watched with exasperation as police have ticketed individuals t wearing masks or restaurants opening in defiance of rules, while seemingly turning a blind eye to transgressions of ultra-Orthodox. In recent days, however, police have begun to crack down on religious scofflaws as well.

Netanyahu's opponents also accuse him of trying to squash persistent protests against him, including outside his Jerusalem home, under guise of nationwide lockdown. Experts say any gains me in recent years at integrating ultra-Orthodox into Israeli society — a crucial step to ensure sustainable growth of Israel’s ecomy could be wiped out by renewed bitterness wrought by virus.

“ coronavirus will disappear at some point," said Yedidia Stern, an expert on religion and state at Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. "But what kind of society will we be after it?”

(Im Credits: AP)

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