Many in Israel believe that the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) live in another world, an alternate reality from that of the normal Israeli: one centered on spirituality, ritual and social conformity. Many Israelis believe that the Haredim, who fight against going in the army, and mostly live off the state, are purposely isolated from the outside world and insulated from outside influences.
Haredim eschew television, and any radio programs or internet sites not approved by the rabbinical authorities. Haredim have their own newspapers, radio stations, and internet sites. Posters with the latest news and announcements are still plastered on notice boards around the Haredi neighborhoods, versions of the ancient pasquinades.
That they live in an alternate reality became clearer this morning when Chaim Vader, a Haredi writer and publicist, appeared on Israel radio Kan Reshet Bet’s “Kalman/Leiberman” talk show. Chaim refuted the Weizman Institutes statistics that examined last week’s infection numbers, including those infected over the Succot weekend. The Weizman institute concluded that there was a 22 % increase in infections in the general population but a 50% increase in the Haredi population. “I want to tell you I have statistics that are completely different,” said Chaim.
A bit of background is necessary here. As of Monday afternoon, there were 268,175 people infected in Israel, that was 29,157 per million making Israel the third highest per capita in the world. 1,719 people had died, at 187 per million a relatively low number, with 878 people in critical condition and 65,064 active cases with approximately 90% of those in isolation.
Emergency regulations to ostensibly try to curtail the rise of virus cases, that had reached as many as 9,000 new cases a day, were enacted. The new rules, in effect for one week, restricted travel, except for emergencies or for those involved in vital jobs, to one kilometer from home (about half-a-mile). But Haaretz reporter Chaim Levinson broke the news that Likud Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel, had ignored the health ministry rules and driven over 100 miles from her home in Tel Aviv to her in-laws home in Tiberias, parts of which are a virus hotspot, to be with them for the Yom Kippur fast. The regulations limited travel to half-a-mile. Her father-in-law is a rabbi in Tiberias. She said she contracted Covid-19 from her driver. Levinson reported that she tried to hide the trip from a Health Ministry epidemiological investigation into her infection. She denies that accusation. Pundits do say that her actions prove that that all people are equal but some more equal than other.
Another implied effect of the emergency regulation was restricting protesters from traveling more than one kilometer from their home to protest, effectively shutting down the weekly Balfour protests in front of PM Netanyahu’s home calling for him to step down. Critics say this rule was meant to stop the protests that were reportedly unnerving Netanyahu and his family. The tactic only led to a dispersion of the protests with tens of thousands of protesters spread around the country, on street corners, bridges or marching in downtown Tel Aviv, where mounted police confronted them arresting nearly 20 people.
One report in Haaretz stated that Public Security Minister Amir Ohana had ambitions to become Minister of Police and the police commanders in Tel Aviv hit the protesters hard to curry favor with the potential Minister of Police.
But on the Kalman/Leiberman talk show, Chaim told the broadcasters that the protests were not proof that the Haredi community was not discriminated against. Still, Kalman went on to say that among those critically ill, 9% were from the general population and 60% from the Haredi community. Again, Chaim said “I have completely different numbers.”
“That say what?” asked the broadcasters. “That the numbers are the same (in both the general population and the Haredi) or even less.” When asked to divulge his sources Chaim demurred. “I saw it in the media, somewhere. I don’t have your resources at my fingertips to pull up these sources.” Chaim also claimed, without proof, that there were no more deaths this year than any other year in Israel. “Not true” said Kalman. “Oh, but you should know that it is true,” said Chaim.
When Kalman asked him how he explained the death of the Admor (rabbinical leader) Hassidic Rebbe Mordechai Leifer, known as the Pittsburg rebbe, at age 64, Chaim said he didn’t refute that Covid-19 wasn’t dangerous, just that it wasn’t fare to pick on the Haredi community. (Thousands turned out for the Rabbi’s funeral.) The key to the discussion was about equality in a democracy. Why should thousands be allowed to demonstrate on Balfour street (against Prime Minister Netanyahu) and the Haredim not be allowed to pray? Again and again Chaim returned to this refrain. In a democracy all should be equal. “There should be a law equal for all. As soon as you don’t do that…” he said, trailing off.
“Okay,” Kalman said, “You’ve convinced me. No more demonstrations. Does that mean that the synagogues and yeshivot and study halls will close?” Chaim answered, “There will be less.” Kalman repeated, “Okay, you’ve convinced me, Balfour demonstrations are equal to synagogues.” “Look,” Chaim said, “the simple man in the street, he sees the demonstrations and he says why can’t I go to synagogue if they can demonstrate?” Chaim said that “These people aren’t friers (suckers). They see that you can go to demonstrations but we can’t pray. They don’t buy it.” He also said, “You have a family of twelve stuck in an apartment without a television, no sport, no books. What do you expect them to do?”
“But the demonstrations are in an open space, outside, the prayers are indoors,” said Kalman, who is modern Orthodox. He even quoted from a letter by Rabbi David Kanievsky, the 92-year-old leader of the “Litai” Ashkenazi Jews, who wrote that those running synagogues should do their best to maintain the health regulations.
“But he didn’t say to close them,” Kalman said. Kalman also said that the rabbinical leaders treated their followers like children. And if they would just tell them, as parents tell their children, how to behave, they’d save a lot of lives.” Rabbi Kanievsky, who at one point told the yeshiva students to ignore rules to say out of their yeshivas, was hospitalized with Covid-19 last Thursday. His condition remains stable.
At one point Asaf Leiberman chimed in, “Chaim, I can’t take it any more. You toss out these numbers and claim to have sources but you don’t have any facts. All you do is muddle the issue.”
“Then why,” he asked, “that for forty years there hasn’t been any demonstrations in Bnai Brak until this year?” Good question. Clearly there was truth in his skepticism.
The police claim they closed up 22 synagogues and that 18 Haredi protestors were arrested in the demonstrations that followed. Other protests and battles took place in Mea Sharim in Jerusalem and Haredi towns like Betar Elite and Modiin Elite. The police went into these neighborhoods to enforce the regulations that no gatherings were to take place in the Succot (booths or huts) put up for the festival. Regulations also forbade visits by anyone to a succah not their own. Police said they passed out over 10,000 fines at 500 shekels (@$140) apiece.
What was clear during the discussion was that the Haredi community had their own views on the Covid-19 pandemic and what caused it. “Don’t you have an obligation to go to your community and tell them to follow the rules. To help save lives?” asked Kalman.
“Most of those infected are children. We take good care of the elderly,” Chaim said.
Chaim, who also wrote for a Haredi newspaper, apparently believed what he was saying. That may mean that an entire body of information that is counter to mainstream sources is promulgated and accepted as fact by the Haredi population.
Chaim thought that the protests in Bnei Brak and other places were a result of the police not realizing that “synagogues are sacrosanct.” Kalman countered, “But dangerous.” “So are demonstrations on Balfour street. Or in Tel Aviv,” said Chaim. According to Chaim, only a fringe group of Haredim are causing trouble. Are protesting. Are fighting with the police. TV news reports show young Haredim trotting backwards in front of a public bus driving through their neighborhood and tearing the windshield wipes from the windows. Police say others threw stones and bricks. One news clip from a bystanders mobile phone showed an enraged policeman tossing an empty bucket at a fleeing boy and hitting him in the head. The clip played over and over on TV. The boy is now represented by an attorney and is suing the police.
The discussion between Chaim and the broadcasters never devolved into an argument but it was clear a great wall like that in China stood between the two sides. Each had their own view of reality.
Another alternate reality is the one created and inhabited by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Like the Haredim, President Trump lives in his own world. He is the star of that world. Analysts say that future politicians will study how President Trump achieved his outstanding success, not in business, in which he has been proven to be less than stellar example of business acumen, but as a reality TV star.
President Trump reportedly earned over $450 million from his reality TV show “The Apprentice.” He used that money, it was reported, to prop up his failing businesses. President Trump realized that after seven seasons of mostly high ratings, they dropped off at the end, that being outrageous worked.
He carried those lessons to the 2016 elections and managed to steal headlines and be the lead, or close to the lead, story in every news cycle. He never stopped his outrageous behavior nor did he give up his successful tactic of always being in the news.
Flouting the mask rule he became a symbol for his followers, who copied him. He reportedly enforced this no mask rule in cabinet meetings demanding those wearing masks remove them. One observer quipped that he ignored science knowing science was a word in the dictionary, a book that was rarely opened by his loyal following.
Even when Covid-19 caught up with him President Trump played to the grandstands. In Walter Reed Hospital the President was treated with the latest drugs and methods that science could provide. The medical staff apparently managed, so far, to contain the virus. The President stole headlines, again, when he came out waving to his fans from inside his limousine. More headlines. More discussion. Again, the center of attention. According to a 2018 article in the British paper, the Guardian, “Trump has weathered endless scandals by creating a new one to distract from the last. He's a carnival huckster running a three-ring circus.”
Like Chaim Veder of Bnai Brak, President Trump lives in his own world filled with the truths he finds amenable to his behavior. One observer pointed out that President Trump massages facts to his own advantage and outlook. The observer added, “but science isn’t idle speculation. Death is absolute. The Covid-19 virus kills.”
Experts say that masks slow down and can even prevent infection. Massaging the truth to fit a world view, real or imagined, does not change the truth, said one pundit. Living in an alternative reality, said another observer, ultimately becomes living in an illusion. A policeman’s baton, or a tracheotomy to insert an oxygen supply, become the reality. Blaming the left, or the media, or anti-Haredi politicians will not change the facts. Nor will imposing lockdowns to quell the anti-Netanyahu protests.
The Covid-19 might be slowed down in Israel by the emergency measures, but until the governments in hard-hit countries, like the USA and Israel, begin to take and follow the advice of scientists, not leaders like Trump and Netanyahu who put politics and personal gain before the lives of their citizens, it appears that the numbers will continue to grow. One day there will be a vaccine. But until then the hucksters and the self-interested should pay more attention how to fight the virus than to feed their egos or, for Netanyahu, try tricks to stay out of jail.
