‘If You Close Synagogues, How Can You Allow Demonstrations?’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Faced with a burgeoning infection rate and a steep increase in hospitalizations from coronavirus, Israel has initially tried to make a weak lockdown. At present, citizens are prohibited from going further than 500 meters from their homes but can offer a host of excuses enabling them to go further, such as work, visiting sick relatives, shopping and even going to demonstrations. The last one is due to the fact that as a democratic state, Israel hallows the right to protest and demonstrate against the government as a fundamental constitutional right and this has been borne out by the government’s patient acceptance of daily mass demonstrations near the prime minister’s residence in central Jerusalem despite the inherent risk of infection.

However with regard to religious services the government seems to have much less tolerance, despite the fact that Israel is officially a Jewish state. While the Rosh Hashana prayers went relatively undisturbed despite the fact that some synagogues had many more congregants than permitted, Yom Kippur may be a different story. Coronavirus project manager Ronny Gamzu wants to close shuls and mikves for Yom Kippur. However if demonstrations and other basic amenities will still be open and shuls will be closed, there will certainly be mass violations of the regulations since they seem to intentionally discriminate against religious people.

During a cabinet meeting Tuesday, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said that: “I hear they are only talking about shuls and mikves, they don’t understand that this is fundamental for us. Just as the value of demonstrations is sacred, as a religious Jew and even for secular Jews, prayers on the High Holidays is also a sacred value.” Deri warned of a mass rebellion against regulations if they target shuls and mikves and continue to allow demonstrations.

Deri even threatened to resign if shuls will be closed on Yom Kippur while demonstrations continue. The cabinet deferred the decision on closing the shuls until Wednesday.

The timing of the new regulations particularly irks the religious population. During the entire vacation period the infection rate was rising daily but there was no attempt on the part of the government to curb gatherings at beaches, restaurants and even weddings. At the time when religious people most require the shuls as well as markets to purchase the four species for the Sukkot holiday, the government has decided to target both of these integral aspects of religious life.