Several ultra-Orthodox cities to be removed from red-zone list
"I call on all public in red cities, on the haredi public, to fulfill the regulations”
By JEREMY SHARONUltra-Orthodox residents walk through of the Mea She’arim neighborhood of Jerusalem, August 2020(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Ronni Gamzu has recommended that the ultra-Orthodox cities of Modi’in Illit, Beitar Illit, and Rechasim, as well as the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mattersdorf, be removed from the list of red zones, allowing for an easing of the lockdown restrictions in those areas.This step, if approved by the government, would lead to the removal of roadblocks at the entrances to these cities.Earlier on Monday however, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gamzu expressed concerns about ongoing violations of government coronavirus regulations.Netanyahu said that the government was seeking the “cooperation of the ultra-Orthodox public and also of their leaders,” adding that “everyone must follow the rules.”Said the prime minister; “We need to protect the achievements of the lockdown with a gradual exit and fulfilling the regulations... There are red cities which are beginning to leave [the lockdown].“Two red cities from five which are beginning to leave, but we are not yet bringing them out... it depends on fulfilling the regulations. I call on all the public in red cities, on the haredi public, to fulfill the regulations.”Ultra-Orthodox politicians condemned Netanyahu for these comments however, saying that by insisting that ultra-Orthodox cities remain in lockdown despite having low enough infection rates to exit lockdown was discriminatory.United Torah Judaism MK and faction chairman Yitzhak Pindrus said Netanyahu’s comments amounted to collective punishment of the ultra-Orthodox community.The prime minister quickly backtracked and said during the Likud faction meeting in the Knesset that infection rates in the ultra-Orthodox community were declining, and argued that complying with the health ministry regulations was more difficult in the sector due to higher population density in ultra-Orthodox cities.He added that the community uses technological solutions such as video conferencing less than other sectors, making remote schooling much harder.Many schools in the ultra-Orthodox sector did however continue to operate despite being formally banned from doing so due to being located in red zones.In Bnei Brak, ultra-Orthodox protesters threw stones at police and blocked roads with trash cans after police shut down a yeshiva that was operating in violation of Health Ministry regulations on Monday.In a statement to the press however, the Jerusalem Police reported that the majority of schools in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, not currently in the red zone, which they visited on Monday were complying with regulations.The police said they visited dozens of ultra-Orthodox educational institutions during the course of the day and did issue several fines against those violating the regulations and operating without authorization.“The great majority of institutions which police officers visited were operating in accordance with the regulations and complied with the guidelines,” the police statement noted.Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.
