Huge numbers of people gathered for the funerals of two prominent rabbis in Jerusalem at the weekend, flouting the coronavirus restrictions announced by the government as the country entered a third national lockdown. On Sunday, the first public funeral carried out was of Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, the head of the Brisk yeshiva in Jerusalem, who died at the age of 99 after months of illness and Covid-19 infection. News images showed his coffin.
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Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis on Sunday attended the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem, flouting the country’s ban on large public gatherings during the lockdown.
The funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at the age of 99, wound its way through the streets of Jerusalem in the latest display of ultra-Orthodox Israelis’ refusal to obey coronavirus restrictions.
The phenomenon has undermined Israel’s aggressive vaccination campaign to bring an outbreak under control and threatened to hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March elections.
Two challengers accused Mr Netanyahu of failing to enforce the law because of pressure from his ultra-Orthodox political allies.
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Feb. 2, 2021
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has many qualities as a politician but sticking to agreements has never been one of them. This entire election is happening because he couldn’t be trusted to remain faithful to the “rotation” deal signed with Defense Minister Benny Gantz – despite it being designed to be watertight, he managed to exploit the one loophole in it.
Netanyahu has repeatedly enticed the leaders of other parties into his coalitions only to destroy their political careers once they’re there. Within his own party, he’s done everything to suppress aspiring leaders with an independent standing of their own by either forcing them to the sidelines and out of the party, or by buying them off with an ambassador’s post far away. But he has had one political alliance that has persevered and even flourished.
Flout Gatherings: 1000s of Ultra-Orthodox Israelis Attend The Funeral of a Rabbi in Public albawaba.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from albawaba.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.