Naftali Bennett: Ultra-Orthodox, Arab Sectors Present Biggest Israeli Coronavirus Challenges

TEL AVIV – Defense Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) on Sunday pointed to the ultra-Orthodox and Arab sectors of Israeli society as being the “problem” in the spread of COVID-19, and called for his ministry to lead the fight against the virus instead of the Health Ministry.

“The infection rate among the Haredim and Arabs is very high,” he said in a press briefing.

Bennett said he was against increasing quarantine restrictions for the broader population but said the most impacted neighborhoods should be closed off.

On Saturday night, some 400 mourners gathered at the funeral of a rabbi in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, causing an outcry among Israelis.

Bennett said Israel was divided into “three ‘corona states’: the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) one, the Arabs, and the rest of Israel. I’m against strengthening quarantine measures.  The majority of Israeli society is taking this crisis very seriously.”

“The problem lays with the Arabs and Haredim,” he said.

He also called for the battle against the virus to be transferred from the Health Ministry to his own, citing a new technology developed by the IDF that would be much more effective in curbing the outbreak than the epidemiological tracing currently employed.

“I urge the government to approve the system [in order to allow us to] monitor and control the rate of infection,” Bennett said.

Channel 12 on Sunday evening said nearly half of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in ICUs are members of the ultra-Orthodox sector.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 10 percent of Israel’s population and generally have very large families of nine or more children.

Government officials are considering a full lockdown of Haredi areas.

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, largely seen as the Haredi Ashkenazic leader, issued a ruling Sunday that called on people to obey social distancing rules and not to gather for prayers. He said those who violate the regulations are deemed rodefs, a Jewish legal classification akin to a murderer. He also said witnesses can call the police on violators.

The Health Ministry on Sunday evening announced that there were 4,247 confirmed cases of the virus. 74 were in serious condition, of which 59 were attached to ventilators. 15 Israelis have died from the virus, including 3 on Sunday alone.