The fact that ultra-Orthodox cities will be included in the impending closure is causing great anger in the sector • The heads of the authorities will meet with the corona commissioner and hint that they will stop the inspections • The mayor of Bnei Brak in response to the question of how the municipality will conduct itself:
The Old City of Jerusalem // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The ultra-Orthodox sector began, at least at the declarative level, in a revolt against the government and Corona commissioner Prof. Roni Gamzo, after defining major ultra-Orthodox cities as red.
The heads of the ultra-Orthodox authorities stated that they would not agree to cooperate with the government because in their opinion the cooperation with the Ministry of Health and conducting many tests led to a situation where they are defined as red localities, while gates that did not carry out such tests are defined as yellow and green.
Within the ultra-Orthodox sector, many voices are heard, including from the great ultra-Orthodox generation last week, with the exception of corona tests in order to lower the seemingly increased morbidity.
In an attempt to stop the crisis, Prof. Gamzo is expected to meet with the heads of the ultra-Orthodox authorities, after a zoom meeting between the parties exploded last night (Saturday night).
"There is no doubt that there are more tests in the ultra-Orthodox world," says a senior member of the ultra-Orthodox society.
"In recent weeks, thousands of yeshiva students have been tested on capsules, so there has also been an increase in the number of verified patients. In recent weeks, 2,500 yeshiva students have been infected, but this does not necessarily represent every city because they are in capsules. Take Bnei Brak, for example. And they don't go out. "
"There are more tests in the ultra-Orthodox society, the numbers are higher and so there is no question. For example, the outline of the capsules in the yeshivot - necessarily did more tests and therefore the numbers of patients are higher. After all, the general public did not do tests for everyone who goes to school. ", Says the source.
But there are those who are not satisfied with implicit criticism and throw things on the table.
Israel Porush, the mayor of Elad, was furious this morning (Sunday) in an interview with Kol Chai radio and claimed that the fact that the ultra-Orthodox public was disciplined led to the definition of ultra-Orthodox cities as red.
"Look at Jerusalem, they are not on the way to any closure because they stopped being tested. Maybe this is the way. I recognize a revolt in the ultra-Orthodox public against the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. We will consult with Israel's greats on how to act and I expect all ultra-Orthodox mayors to speak with one voice."
Already last week, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a rabbi of the ultra-Orthodox generation, ordered to stop performing corona tests massively in yeshivot in order to stop the number of students entering isolation, and now in ultra-Orthodox society there are those who call for extensive tests because it harms them.
Last week, Arik Adler, the corona commander in the city of Bnei Brak, who resigned a day later from the advisory team to the corona commissioner, while strongly protesting the state's conduct on the issue, said that before the start of the school year, 700 kindergarten teachers and aides were examined in Israel.
Now, the ultra-Orthodox say - volunteering and mobilization has led to harm to us - we will not continue.
The first stage, say the ultra-Orthodox authorities, is the closure that is already emerging in the coming days.
In contrast to the first wave, this time adding in the ultra-Orthodox cities, the government and law enforcement agencies will be forced to fend for themselves.
The Israeli police are aware of the growing public protest.
Senior officials contacted the mayor of Bnei Brak, Avraham Rubinstein, this morning (Sunday), asking to know how the municipality would conduct itself if public anger escalated due to the closure.
The mayor replied to senior officials: "I intend to participate in demonstrations against the unjustified closure."