Photographs of ultra-Orthodox people in the street or in prayer houses are currently being filled with heaps of tongue chatter and disgust. Beyond our tendency to plead guilty to "others," the spread of the Corona in ultra-Orthodox society is dwarfed by political questions. The attitude to the issue is influenced by the position. The right-wing leader of Netanyahu has made an alliance with the ultra-Orthodox, and is now showing more empathy and understanding of the unique structural factors for ultra-Orthodox society - large families and high density. The left has a tendency to condemn the behavior of the ultra-Orthodox public and its leaders, and to depend on the extreme revelations of the anti-Zionist faction. Children spitting and shouting "Nazis" at police, soldiers or medical teams are a disturbing sight, which turns the stomach of most Israelis. They also shoot well, a temptation that the media is hard to resist. But the problem is more serious and deeper than Shaming and Click Byte.

The ultra-Orthodox response to the attacks reflects part of the problem: they are often characterized by sacrifice, including the harassing use of the term "anti-Semitic" that is part of the ultra-Orthodox discourse, and renouncing responsibility for the weeds in the camp. But criticizing the claims of hostile stereotypical labeling - a measure of justice - ignores a simple question: why are there anxious children spitting on state symbols; The same country that is responsible for their health and well-being. 

The ultra-Orthodox cling to the ideal of the autonomous community, whose roots are rooted in the pre-modern state. Then the Jews from the state were given permission to conduct their affairs independently, according to the law. It was the great Torah of the rabbinate. Various states recognized the rabbinic authority and gave it validity, as long as the Jews complied with the demands of government. This order has collapsed in the modern age, where there is one law for all citizens of the state. Jewish responses to the new situation ranged from striving for full integration into the modern environment to complete separation from it. The ultra-Orthodox response, as we know, was voluntary seclusion and preservation of community autonomy as much as possible.  

But the boundaries and restrictions imposed by ultra-Orthodox society are not resistant to the Corona. In the face of such devastating power, the power of a modern state - scientists, research institutions, enforcement, hospitals, economists and huge budgets - is needed. True, ultra-Orthodox can integrate into modern institutions as individuals, and many do so with great success. But as a community, like any community, they cannot create institutions comparable to those of the state. The data on infection and public attitude towards it are not detached from the reluctance of the ultra-Orthodox society; Not just the State of Israel - the state in general, as a political framework. 

The question is whether the corona will change; Will the ultra-Orthodox stream become less qualified and separate? Experts claim that Shas' ultra-Orthodox offers a milder model, based on the Spanish ruling tradition (such as approving the use of zoom on the last night), which may be a bridge between the secular public and the ultra-Ashkenazi public. Also, the important role played by Aryeh Deri in contacts between the Likud and a white-blue government Does the Coruna also increase Ashkenazi, Lithuanian and Hasidic ultra-Orthodox communities, or continue to shut down? This question has profound implications not only for ultra-Orthodox Judaism, but for the future of the State of Israel.  

Dr. Rona Yona lectures in history at Tel Aviv University and at Oranim College