JERUSALEM – Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis on Sunday summed up the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem and insulted the country’s ban on major public gatherings during the pandemic.
The funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at the age of 99, moved through the streets of Jerusalem in the latest display of ultra-Orthodox Israelites’ refusal to comply with coronavirus restrictions.
The phenomenon has undermined the country’s aggressive vaccination campaign to bring an angry outbreak under control and threatened to hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March’s election. Two challengers accused Netanyahu of failing to enforce the law due to political pressure from his ultra-Orthodox political allies.
Dense packaging of people gathered outside the rabbi’s house, ignoring restrictions on more than ten people’s outdoor gatherings. Many did not wear masks. Thousands of ultra-Orthodox black-clad mourners drove past the main entrance of the city to the cemetery where Soloveitchik was to be buried. A handful of police officers blocked intersections in traffic to allow participants to pass, but apparently took no action to prevent the illegal assembly.
According to Israeli media, Soloveitchik, a leading religious scientist who has led a number of well-known seminars, recently suffered from COVID-19.
Alon Halfon, a Jerusalem police officer, told Channel 13 TV that police had little choice but to continue the massive march. He said police action had contributed to reducing the crowd and that about 100 tickets had been issued for health offenses. But in such a dense environment, with children among the crowd, an attempt to disperse the crowd would have been ‘unwise and dangerous’.
The Ministry of Health of Israel has recorded more than 640,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and at least 4.75 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Israel recently had an average of more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus every day, one of the highest infection rates in the developing world. At the same time, Israel has vaccinated more than 3 million of its citizens, including one of the highest prices per capita in the world.
Health experts say it could take a few weeks before the vaccination campaign affects the rate of infection and hospitalization. The Israeli cabinet met on Sunday and was expected to extend a nationwide exclusion for another week. The government last month imposed restrictions on the movement and closure of schools and non-essential businesses in an effort to combat Israel’s runaway pandemic.
A disproportionate number of coronavirus cases in Israel are within the ultra-Orthodox minority of the country. The strictly religious community, which makes up about 11% of Israel’s 9.2 million people, made up about 40% of the new affairs.
Many ultra-Orthodox sects kept schools, seminaries and synagogues open and held mass weddings and funerals in violation of the closure restrictions that closed schools and many businesses in other parts of the country. In recent weeks, violent clashes between members of the ultra-Orthodox community have committed the rules and the police officers to enforce them.
Ultra-Orthodox leaders say they have been unfairly singled out, arguing that the country’s secular public does not understand the importance of public prayers and religious studies in their community. They claim that the spotters are a small part of their diverse community, and blame the busy living conditions for the outbreak.
Netanyahu has long relied on ultra-Orthodox parties for support, and critics say he has refused to antagonize his allies ahead of critical elections. Without ultra-Orthodox support, it will be extremely difficult for Netanyahu to form a governing coalition – especially as he seeks immunity from an ongoing corruption trial.
But there are signs that this alliance could become a liability due to widespread public anger over ultra-Orthodox behavior during the pandemic. A poll last week indicated that more than 60% of Israelis do not want ultra-Orthodox parties to serve in the next coalition.
Sunday’s funeral took place a day after police used a water cannon to disperse protesters against Netanyahu near the prime minister’s residence. And the Israeli media has shown that the police are aggressively handing out fines to people who violate the lock in Tel Aviv, accusing the police of complying with double standards.
Gideon Saar, a right-wing Israeli politician who is challenging Netanyahu in the election, criticized the prime minister on Twitter, saying ‘the photos of Jerusalem prove that Netanyahu stopped applying the law for political reasons. This will not happen in a government led by me. There will be one law for all and it will be applied. ”
Another challenger, Yair Lapid, leader of a centrist party that appeals to middle-class secular voters, said in a speech to parliament that he had nothing against the ultra-Orthodox or their parties.
“I have a big problem with someone who thinks the law does not apply to him,” he said. “The law is for everyone.”