The report noted that Bnei Brak's municipal coronavirus headquarters might close and be handed over to the Health Ministry, with a decision expected to be made in the coming week. The decision, according to Haaretz, is dependent on the position of leaders within the non-hassidic Litvak (Lithuanian) ultra-Orthodox faction in the city, particularly Rabbi Gershon Edelstein.
The rabbi has thus far taken a stricter approach than the other head of the haredi community, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, who has encouraged his followers at times to not follow Health Ministry guidelines on preventing the spread of coronavirus. It was further noted by Haaretz that government authorities are reliant on local municipal authorities to enforce Health Ministry rules.
"Closure is only a punishment. It is ineffective," said one unnamed source in a statement to Haaretz. "Bnei Brak has zero impact on the surrounding cities," the municipality also told the newspaper.
"The closure will only destroy the economy and education, but will not stop the contagion because it will continue inside the houses," the municipality said.
"Since the appointment of [coronavirus czar] Prof. Roni Gamzu, the impression is given that instead of doing the work of treating the coronavirus, it deals with populist headlines, speeches and acts that repeatedly harm the ultra-Orthodox public in Israel," wrote the director of the Ashkenazi Ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism Party faction to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week.