Israel uses rabbis to limit the spread of Corona in the ranks of the Haredi

Mohamed Mohsen Wedd - occupied Jerusalem

Rabbi Haim Kanepski's fatwa, according to which gathering, gathering and praying in congregation, and teaching Torah in religious schools, was paved for the application of what the Israeli establishment failed and failed to implement the procedures and restrictions in the housing complexes of the ultra-Orthodox, to limit the spread of the new Corona virus.

In an effort to influence the "Haredi public" and persuade them of the seriousness of the Corona pandemic and the necessity to adhere to the instructions of the Ministry of Health, there have been many fatwas and rabbis interpretations of biblical teachings stating the need to preserve human health and safety.

These fatwas come at a time when the Israeli Ministry of Health announced the registration of 4,695 cases of corona virus, 79 of which were described as serious, while 16 deaths were recorded as of Monday evening, where the Ministry's data indicates the multiplication of HIV infections in the haredi community, and warned of the pandemic spreading to Jewish communities. Hardcore.

Frequency and collision
Until the fatwas were issued, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the past two weeks seemed reluctant to issue orders to law enforcement authorities to implement restrictions and limit movement within the ultra-Orthodox community, so that his partners in the government coalition would not be angry with the Shas and Judaism parties, while the police collided With opposition, I reached the point of confrontation when I tried to prevent gathering, praying in synagogues, and closing the religious schools of the Haredim.

The fatwa of Rabbi Kanepsky, who is considered one of the largest rabbis among the ultra-Orthodox Jews of European descent and the highest religious authority in the Haredi community, reflects the power and influence of the rabbis among the ultra-Orthodox community and the extent of their influence on Israeli public opinion on crucial and spiritual issues.

The Haredim obey all their currents, to the teachings of the Torah more than to obey the civil legislation issued by the Knesset and the Prime Minister.

Dozens of members of the Torah Rabbis Council, which includes rabbis on various religious currents, joined the fatwa, which came after the multiplication of Corona's outbreaks in the Haredim towns of Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh and the residential neighborhoods in which they are concentrated in occupied Jerusalem and major Jewish cities.

The Council of Rabbis called for the issuance of a fatwa permitting the violation of religious teachings on Saturday as a precautionary measure to limit the spread of the virus, and limiting celebrations of Easter, which falls in April, to the family only and inside the home.

Fatwas and instructions
These new fatwas and religious instructions were adopted by the “Chief Rabbinate” in Israel - which consists of two senior rabbis, one of the “Eastern” Sephardim and the other of the “Western” Ashkenazim - which enabled Netanyahu to announce, on Monday evening, from his quarantine headquarters about more Procedures, restrictions, and closures in the country, specifically in ultra-Orthodox communities.

Israel’s “Chief Rabbinate” confirmed that the instructions and updating the guidelines regarding religious and biblical teachings of ultra-Orthodox Jews announced by the government were approved in coordination with senior rabbis and with officials in the Ministry of Health and the Israeli National Security Council.

According to the instructions announced by Netanyahu and the police were previously unable to implement them in the ranks of the Haredim, prayers in the synagogues were strictly prohibited, the teaching of the Torah was suspended in all religious schools, the gathering of more than two people was prohibited, the celebration of the Hebrew Passover at home and at the small family level, and funerals were limited to twenty people Only, wedding ceremonies at home.

Default and neglect
In light of these new fatwas and instructions, the haredi journalist, Israel Cohen, criticized the Israeli government, and accused it of failing to deepen awareness of the haredi ranks and neglecting their privacy and their needs, in all ways related to limiting the spread of the Corona virus.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Health had refrained, until the last week, from deepening awareness and publishing instructions and instructions for the home stone and the gradual closure among the ultra-Orthodox Jews, and did so after it became clear that about 50% of those who were infected with the virus were from the ultra-Orthodox.

He explained that with the escalation of HIV infections among the ranks of the Haredi, and the law enforcement authorities unable to speak to the Haredi and persuaded them to abide by the instructions to curb the spread of the epidemic, the rabbis who addressed and directed directly to the Haredi public were used, and they explained to them through fatwas, spirituals and Torah teachings the dangers of not obeying the instructions and instructions to prevent from Virus, which are proven fatwas and trends.

Question and ignore
For his part, the director of the Information Center for the Haredi, Yehuda Ezkovi يعتقد, believes that the Corona crisis reflects the nature of the life of the Haredi public in the state, which is similar to autonomy and isolation from the public life of the Israelis, so that their discipline is to the teachings of the Torah and abide by the instructions and instructions issued by the rabbis, while civil legislation appears Marginal in their daily lives.

Izkovic explained that in the various streams of the ultra-Orthodox there are extremist groups, some of whom do not even recognize Zionism and all of them are committed to the Torah and Jewish religious teachings, knowing that there is a section of ultra-Orthodox extremists, who is already questioning any directives issued by the state institution.

For them, when state directives do not fit their conservative viewpoint, those directives will be ignored to practice their rituals according to their beliefs.