At his usual time of 9:00 p.m., Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a series of new edicts to the general public of Israel.
The new edicts include some positive news for Israelis as it was announced that the treasury will be issuing stipends for families with children for Pesach in the amount of 500 NIS per child. Additionally, elderly citizens will receive an additional 500 NIS on their monthly stipend.
The boldest of the new regulations issued stated that all people leaving their homes for whatever reason must wear something to cover their faces, either a mask or an improvised cover such as a scarf.
Currently, there are not enough masks in the entire country to supply the entire population. Therefore, Israelis were instructed to improvise a mask using a scarf or other materials if they do not have a mask readily available.
Another edict was the limiting of traffic in and out of Bnei Brak as well as other areas severely affected by the disease. “Inside Bnei Brak residents may go and come within accordance to the previous regulations sated by the Health Ministry but entering and exiting will be severely limited,” Netanyahu said. “I know that this is difficult, but it is for the good of the residents, not just for your health, but for the lives of all Israeli citizens.”
Netanyahu added: “While the Chareidi population has begun to internalize the danger of this disease, there are still areas that the disease spread twice as fast than it did in other areas. Therefore, we have decided to cut back entering and exiting from the city to an absolute minimum. We will also be transferring those in quarantine to designated hotels.”
Another edict was that anyone arriving in Israel from now until further notice will have to be quarantined in a “coronavirus hotel.”
Netanyahu then asked the populace to not travel at all for the Seder night. “You need to stay where you are with the people from your own nuclear family for Pesach.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
I am a proud member of the Israeli Charedi community and am extremely upset at the continuous assertions on YWN that the “Charedi Population” is not listening to the Health Ministry’s guidelines. I along with my family, neighbors and entire community have been dutifully staying in my house, as per the Ministry of Health’s rules for the past 3 weeks and as the Charedi Rav of my neighborhood (and actually any Charedi Rav I know) instructed 3 weeks ago. I do not know any of my Charedi friends who are not doing the exact same thing- with great mesiras nefesh (likely more than our secular brothers and sisters) given the larger families and often smaller places of residence, yet we are doing it- many, many 10’s of thousands of us, including those families with special needs children. I have painfully refrained from davening with a minyan for weeks and so has my son. It is horrible that YWN makes/allows these types of stereotyping which creates animosity towards a group that does not deserve it.
If YWN feels the need to make a particular community look bad, please be accurate about who its is. Make it clear that a particular neighborhood or neighborhoods are not keeping to the rules. I have friends in Bnei Brak who have been keeping the rules for weeks, but your articles make it sound as if there is no such thing. It is inaccurate and disparaging to refer to the “The Charedi population…” when speaking about a small demographic within that world. According to your journalistic guidelines I recommend that instead of saying that “Charedim are not keeping the regulations”, say “White people are not keeping the regulations” They are white also, and once precision doesn’t matter, might as well, go all the way.