Israel’s coronavirus rate continues to rise, with over 1,300 new cases confirmed on Tuesday, the highest number in four months, and 7,924 active cases, up from just 200 a month ago.

All of Israel’s “red zones” are in secular areas as only 2% of infections are in the Chareidi sector versus 93% of the infections found in the general sector. Despite this fact, the left-wing Haaretz newspaper felt it was appropriate to publish a cartoon by artist Amos Biderman on Monday morning with the age-old theme of Chareidim spreading disease.

Biderman completely ignored the tens of thousands of Israelis crowded at Ben-Gurion Airport on Monday morning, instead publishing an illustration of frum Jews crowding together at the Kosel on Tisha B’Av. As two policemen overlook the crowd, one says to the other: “Is it okay that they’re crowding together like this?” The other policeman responds: “They got a ‘celebration pass’ for Tisha B’av. [A “celebration pass,” an initiative of the new government, will limit gatherings to those who are vaccinated, recovered or present a negative COVID test but will not be limited in size. Mask-wearing will be mandatory except for when eating and drinking.]

כל אחד ושער השמיים שלו pic.twitter.com/tmTeowp0aJ

— יהודה אייזיקוביץ (@chareidiic) July 19, 2021

On Tuesday, 100,000 Arabs gathered together at Har HaBayis to pray on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha but Biderman chose not to publish a cartoon on the issue, despite the reported rise in virus cases in the Arab-Israeli sector.

בידרמן, את זה אתה יודע לאייר?@Amos123Biderman pic.twitter.com/LXWLkXWecH

— אברהם גרינצייג (@avigrin10) July 20, 2021

In response to the cartoon, Chareidi artists Yoni Eisenstein and Yisrael Meir posted a clip of the scene with different captions and Ani Maamin playing in the background. One policeman says to the other: ‘Look, Am Yisrael Chai.’ The other policeman answers: ‘I wonder what Biderman sees.’

אנשי הדיגיטל יוני אייזנשטיין וישראל מאיר בתגובה לקריקטוריסט 'הארץ' עמוס בידרמן – צפו: pic.twitter.com/M0L1uAAPT0

— חדשות הסקופים. (@Haskupim) July 19, 2021

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)