Ultra-Orthodox extremists shout at virus czar Gamzu, calling him ‘evil’

A crowd of extremist ultra-Orthodox residents of Modiin Illit is seen in newly published footage shouting at Ronni Gamzu, the leader of the government fight against the coronavirus, blaming him for the closure of synagogue and other religious institutions.

“You evil person, don’t close synagogues, don’t close yeshivas,” one of them shouts, as Gamzu is seen entering a vehicle and leaving the scene. The scene was apparently filmed this morning.

“Stop cooperating with the Zionist enemy,” says one of them, boasting a few seconds later that “the cops ran away.”

ממונה הקורונה פרופ' רוני גמזו הותקף מילולית בביקור במודיעין עילית: "רשע, אל תסגור בתי כנסת"@AkivaWeisz
(צילום: איתמר קירשבוים) pic.twitter.com/jqubB3u2hm

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 22, 2020

Some ultra-Orthodox sects have accused the government and Gamzu of unfairly targeting their community with measures to curb coronavirus infections, even though the Haredi community has had consistently higher morbidity rates than other Israeli populations.

They have clashed, often violently, with police and other officials who came to enforce the restrictions.