Politics plague Israeli virus response ahead of holidays

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long cultivated a symbiotic relationship with the country’s ultra-Orthodox parties, doling out generous subsidies and leaving their insular way of life unperturbed in exchange for ironclad backing that has helped crown him Israel’s longest serving leader.

Now, with the coronavirus pandemic raging and the Jewish High Holidays approaching, Netanyahu finds himself caught between his ultra-Orthodox partners and the need to drive down surging infection rates. This balancing act could plunge the country into a new lockdown ahead of the holidays, which begin next week.

Netanyahu has faced a national furor over his handling of the coronavirus, but that anger is boiling over among the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, who have used their political muscle to fend off what they see as discriminatory restrictions.

“The entire Haredi public won’t forget the injustice carried out against it,” a group of mayors from ultra-Orthodox cities and towns wrote in a letter to Netanyahu this week. “The decisions you made, time after time, were made with no regard for logic or health benefits, and were clearly aimed at the Haredi public. We consider you the only culprit for these punitive measures.”

Israel this week imposed new restrictions on some 40 cities and towns with worrying outbreaks, which include nighttime curfews, strict limits on public gatherings and the shuttering of schools. The restrictions mostly affect ultra-Orthodox as well as Arab communities, which have also been hit hard in recent weeks.

The government had been expected to approve a stricter lockdown on many of the localities, as called for by the country’s coronavirus czar, Ronni Gamzu. But after intense pressure by ultra-Orthodox politicians and the scathing letter by the Haredi mayors,...