Five Israeli police officers were wounded Sunday in clashes with ultra-Orthodox protesters protesting the coronavirus restrictions in cities across the country.
Police confronted the five officers’ injuries and at least four arrests reported when large crowds ultra-Orthodox protesters officers in several cities in Israel Associated Press reported.
Israeli law enforcers have mostly been reluctant to arrest people in the ultra-Orthodox community for failing to meet COVID-19 requirements, including by reopening schools, praying in synagogues, and holding large weddings and funerals.
But on Sunday, officers stood in front of the crowd of protesters who spoke out against the restrictions.
According to the AP, young men in Bnei Brak challenged the police and threatened journalists and led an officer to fire his pistol into the air. Two days earlier, ultra-Orthodox protesters had attacked a police vehicle in the city.
Law enforcers used tear gas and foul-smelling water to break up hundreds of ultra-Orthodox protesters outside a reopened school, calling police “Nazis.” Dozens of protesters also faced police in Ashdod outside an ultra-Orthodox school.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu MORE condemns disobedience to the coronavirus restrictions and says that a small minority of people have an ‘unacceptable’ behavior.
“I expect all citizens of Israel to respect the security guidelines,” he told the AP. “It includes all the sectors, including the ultra-Orthodox.”
Israel has one of the highest infection rates in any country in the world, averaging more than 8,000 cases per day. Health experts attributed the recent spread of the virus to the lack of compliance among the ultra-Orthodox community.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, Israel recorded nearly 600,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 4,400 deaths.
COVID-19 has affected the ultra-Orthodox community excessively, making up more than one-third of Israel’s cases, while accounting for just over 10 percent of the population.
According to the AP, the increase in cases could jeopardize the success of Israel’s vaccination effort after the country vaccinated more than a quarter of its 9.2 million inhabitants.
The protests also come when Netanyahu announced that the country will close its international airport for Tuesday to January 31 for almost all flights. Exceptions will be made for a small amount of humanitarian affairs and cargo flights.