San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
UltraOrthodox clashes dim Netanyahu’s hopes
JERUSALEM — As he seeks reelection, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned to a straightforward strategy: Count on the rocksolid support of his ultraOrthodox political allies and stamp out the coronavirus pandemic with one of the world’s most aggressive vaccination campaigns.
But with ultraOrthodox communities openly flouting safety guidelines and violently clashing with police trying to enforce them, this marriage of convenience is turning into a burden. Netanyahu has watched his political partners undermine the country’s war against the virus and spark a public backlash that threatens him at the ballot box.
“Netanyahu’s hope is that Israel will be the first country in the world to be vaccinated, that he will be able to open the economy to everyone, ultraOrthodox and secular, and then the problem will be forgotten,” said Moshe Klughaft, a campaign strategist who has advised Netanyahu in the past. If the current troubles persist, he said, “Netanyahu will be in big trouble.”
Less than two months before the March 23 election, Israel finds itself in a paradoxical situation. In just one month, it has vaccinated over a quarter of its 9.3 million people and is on pace to inoculate the entire adult population by election day. At the same time, it has one of the developing world’s highest rates of infection, with some 8,000 new cases detected each day. Last week it tightened a monthold lockdown by closing its international airport to nearly all flights.
There is little question that the ultraOrthodox sector — where schools remain open, synagogues are full and mass weddings and funerals continue to take place — has been a driving force in the spiking numbers. Experts estimate that the sector, making up about 12% of Israel’s population, accounts for 40% of new coronavirus cases.
The ultraOrthodox have long wielded disproportionate influence in Israel, using their kingmaker status in parliament to extract concessions from the nation’s leaders. UltraOrthodox males are exempt from otherwise mandatory military service. The community’s schools receive generous subsidies while providing subpar educations that focus almost entirely on religious studies.
The system has long bred resentment among Israel’s secular majority, and economists have repeatedly warned that it is unsustainable. But political leaders have rarely been willing to challenge it.
The backlash has begun to play into the hands of Netanyahu’s rivals. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, which appeals to secular voters, has seen his popularity shoot up.
“We will put an end to this madness,” Lapid wrote on Twitter. “With us, there will be one law for everyone.”