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Protesters, Police Clash as Coronavirus Panic Simmers
A police officer has a few words for an ultra-Orthodox student outside a yeshiva in Bnei Brak on April 2. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

Protesters, Police Clash as Coronavirus Panic Simmers

Ultra-Orthodox protesters detail their grievances and demands

As coronavirus cases continue to surge all over Israel, with daily numbers once again breaking records on Tuesday, residents of ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem have taken to the streets for the third day in a row.

Protesting what they allege to be over-policing in their communities, hundreds of Haredi residents over the past week have repeatedly confronted police officers, with demonstrations sometimes escalating into physical altercations. Monday night, dozens of protesters torched trashcans near Jerusalem’s city center, obstructed traffic and assaulted police officers. Twenty-two were arrested.

The protesters’ main point of contention is the recently reintroduced lockdowns, which were imposed by the government almost exclusively in religious neighborhoods. The Media Line spoke with local residents of the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem about the community’s grievances and what they demand from their government.

“People feel like they’re being persecuted. They [the police] are trying to find fault in every little thing,” explains Moshe, 29. “In most Haredi neighborhoods and towns, people wear masks and follow instructions. But when the [police] see an ultra-Orthodox [person], they single them out. It’s harassment.”

Asked how he expects the authorities to handle the renewed virus outbreak, Moshe replied, “The question is, does the lockdown work? That’s what needs to be asked. Just shutting down everything is not the way to go. If you impose a limited lockdown, extract the sick and deal with the issue surgically, that’s OK. But shutting whole towns with tens of thousands of people – we’re talking families that need to work and live.”

“When there was a general lockdown [during the first wave], we accepted it because it was for everyone. But now it feels selective, discriminating.”

Government officials reiterated over the past week that the locations and scope of the new lockdowns were determined based solely on the basis of statistical analysis and the recommendations of health experts. Ultra-religious neighborhoods are traditionally among the most densely populated in Israel, with very large families living in extremely small quarters.

A record 1,681 new infections were reported over the last 24 hours in Israel, bringing the total number of identified cases in Israel to nearly 21,400. Among the cities where the virus has especially run rampant are the ultra-Orthodox Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit, Modiin Illit and the Haredi neighborhoods of Jerusalem, the city with the highest number of cases in the country.

“There is no over enforcing,” insists Israel Police national spokesman Superintendent Micky Rosenfeld in a conversation with The Media Line. “The police are implementing rules and regulations that the Israeli government and Ministry of Health have decided upon. If tomorrow morning we have to close other neighborhoods, we’ll do that as well. If neighborhoods will need to be opened up, like Beitar Illit, which is scheduled to open up again, then we will open up.

“Residents have to understand the importance and significance of preventing the spread of coronavirus … within those communities that we know, based on the graphs, numbers and statistics, are already at a relatively new high peak of … confirmed cases. This is nothing theoretical,” Rosenfeld said.

According to the emergency decrees, residents are allowed to leave the designated areas for emergency purposes such as medical treatment, judicial proceedings, funerals of immediate relatives and the transfer of minors whose parents live separately. Anyone designated as an essential worker can also exit and enter the locked-down zones.

During the protests that turned violent on Monday, residents attempted to break through police barriers and enter neighboring streets. “Until three evenings ago, the protests that took place were quiet, calm and with no public disturbances,” says Rosenfeld. “[On Monday] protesters were trying to break down the gates. As soon as there are violent incidents that get out of hand, police will respond.”

“The government’s just not handling it,” complains a 34-year-old ultra-Orthodox laundromat owner who asked not to be identified by name. “I don’t know if there’s necessarily discrimination against Haredi people. It’s not a religious-secular issue. People work hard and all of a sudden the government just pulls the plug out of the socket. They’re cutting our legs out from under us.”

“You know how many stores have closed? You can see just outside here, on the street. The big ones manage to survive but the small ones, or even medium-sized businesses – they either collapse and [are forced to] close or they get some lousy compensation from the government, which is really just a bribe so that we’ll vote for them.”

According to a new survey released Tuesday by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute, public trust in both economic and political leadership has cratered in recent weeks. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s numbers, in particular, have reached new lows, with only 29% of the public expressing trust in his ability to lead the fight against the pandemic. While still higher than the average, trust level toward the prime minister among ultra-Orthodox voters – considered an integral part of his right-wing base – has dropped significantly, from 74% in early June to just 49% today.

“The anger is mostly directed at the politicians, the authorities,” says Moshe. “The public that voted for [religious political parties] Shas and United Torah Judaism expect them now not to be content with talking and protesting. They need to put their foot down, to take some real operative steps and deliver for the public that put them there.”

Asked if Netanyahu himself might be politically harmed from his handling of the pandemic and economic fallout, the laundromat owner replied emphatically: “Big time. He’s handing out bribes now so that it won’t come to bite him come Election Day. But I’ve spoken to my friends – they’ve had enough.”

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