Tel-Chai Nation

An op-ed writer at the Jerusalem Post addresses the dangerous and irresponsible way Yaakov Litzman's handled the Coronavirus crisis at his end, acting as though Haredis must be exempt from safety rules at a time of health crisis:

In Judaism, there is the concept of “pikuah nefesh” – there is no Jewish law above the preservation or saving of a life. It is the only circumstance under which a Jew is permitted to eat on Yom Kippur, break Shabbat, or break any other Jewish law.

How shameful, then, that some of Israel’s most religious communities, religious leaders, and even the health minister himself refuse to take the threat of coronavirus seriously enough in their own observant communities.

The ultra-Orthodox disdain for secular society in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic endangers both their own communities and the general public. Because the Israeli government has tolerated being held hostage by ultra-Orthodox factions on a variety of issues, religious communities have again gotten away with a failure to adhere in full to the coronavirus regulations that the rest of us must follow. Once again, the ultra-Orthodox are permitted by the government to interpret laws and regulations as suggestions. Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman and other ultra-Orthodox leaders are playing politics with people’s lives, and it must stop. [...]

Following the announcement of stricter regulations, some ulta-Orthodox communities responded by opening their shops and organizing protests with gatherings of far more than 10 people. In Mea She’arim, hundreds gathered to protest, with some even calling police “Nazis” for enforcing the ministry’s directives. When confronted by police enforcing social distancing measures, they attacked police with rocks. Protesters refused to disperse, and some had to be detained by police – endangering the lives of all parties involved.

If that’s not enough, while the ministry ordered mikvaot (Jewish ritual baths) closed for men early on, it opted not to close mikvaot for Jewish women, as it is an obligation for a Jewish married woman to go to the mikveh regularly. This is despite reports that the mikvaot were not up to par with ministry regulations, even prior to coronavirus. It was reported that Litzman even argued with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the closure of mikvaot, despite the fact that they are clearly a risk for contracting COVID-19. Allegedly, Litzman pressured Netanyahu not to implement stricter measures that apply to religious communities, stating, “It can’t be that one can take their dog out, but the mikveh is closed.” In response, Netanyahu stated, “What can you do, the virus doesn’t respect religion,” prompting Litzman’s disturbing response: “Well, if it doesn’t respect [religion], we will.”

In an sordid display of contempt for his fellow Israelis, our health minister, tasked with handling the biggest pandemic of our time, cares more about proving a point to secular society than he does about preventing the spread of a potentially fatal disease. He also opposed the stricter regulations to shutter synagogues announced on March 25. This response, however, is hardly surprising given that this is the same attitude with which the ultra-Orthodox approach most issues in government – cutting off their noses to spite their faces. This time, however, it will cost both sides lives. [...]

Our government and our police have an obligation to enforce the law, because the right to religious freedom doesn’t come above the right to life.

Closures of synagogues, yeshivot and mikvaot are an attempt to save the lives of those in religious communities, not damage their ability to practice religion.

Israel must not continue this dangerous trend of allowing the ultra-Orthodox to be above the law, before it’s too late. A festering problem which began with special tax breaks and exemption from army service has now progressed to endangering public health.

The Shin Bet did a check on Litzman's activities by tracking his phone activity, and besides the witnesses at the synagogues, there was also this alarming news that came up:

Testimony by residents in the haredi neighborhood in which Litzman lives suggests he violated the directives several other times.

Moreover, when the Knesset was being sworn in three weeks ago, Litzman was the only one who refused to have his temperature taken before entering the building, Channel 13 reported.

Very eyebrow raising. The man clearly has such a superiority complex, he doesn't give a damn if he wound up infecting other people while he was there. He must be removed from his post.

Meanwhile, Bnei Brak's ideally been locked down:

Police were deploying in force in Bnei Brak Friday morning, setting up dozens of checkpoints at entrances and exits to the central city, hours after the cabinet declared the coronavirus hotspot a “restricted zone.”

Authorities said over 1,000 officers had been sent into the city to patrol, maintain and enforce the closure. Residents will not be allowed to leave the city except under special circumstances, officials said. Non-residents will not be permitted to enter.

The forces will also work to limit unnecessary movement within the city as residents are instructed to follow national guidelines to stay at home unless in need of basic necessities.

Police were using drones and other monitoring methods to maintain the lockdown.

Meanwhile, ill people and those most at risk will be taken out of the city to quarantine, to limit the spread of the pathogen within Bnei Brak.

Police Chief Superintendent Roee Waldman, head of the Police Investigations Department, told Army Radio: “In the next few hours residents will feel a high presence of policemen and soldiers who will remove people to quarantine.”

He said if forces encountered resistance they were authorized to use “proportionate force.”

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the IDF’s Home Front Command will be in charge of providing assistance to residents and the municipality while police will maintain responsibility for the overall closure.

United Torah Judaism MK Yaakov Asher, who lives in Bnei Brak, on Friday protested the use of armed police officers, asking Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office oversees the police, to ban weapons at the checkpoints set up across the city.

After all the riots that occurred in some of these communities, some of which were mentioned above, chances can't be taken, so Asher's only added to the atrocity his party's become.

During the closure, aid services and providers of essential supplies will be allowed in, as well as journalists. The closure will initially last for seven days, with the option to be extended by ministers by five days at a time.

The cabinet also approved the formation of a ministerial committee headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that will be charged with determining whether additional towns should be declared “restriction zones” in order to curb the outbreak.

One of the towns mentioned by Health Minister Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov during the Thursday evening cabinet meeting was the ultra-Orthodox city of Elad, which has seen dozens of confirmed cases, according to Channel 13.

Even Mea Shearim should be closed off, if that's what it takes to ensure improvements and help get the country back on track sooner. The residents are going to have to start asking themselves whether they want to continue living in a lifestyle and community that puts religious customs above the safety and well being of others.

Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Judaism, Knesset, Moonbattery