A senior professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is claiming that Israel should quarantine haredi towns and neighborhoods because haredim are spreading Coronavirus.
Amiram Goldblum, the Hans J. and Tilly Weil Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the university's School of Pharmacy, uploaded a post to his personal Facebook page on Monday in which he stated: "They are hiding the truth from you because of the elections – the virus has been spreading rapidly in Israel since a group of Koreans visited the Cave of the Patriarchs. In Italy towns and cities are being quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. In Israel, we need to quarantine [haredi towns] Elad and Bnei Brak and Modi'in Illit and Betar Illit and Netivot and Beit Shemesh, as well as large neighborhoods in Ashdod and Jerusalem."
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In another post, which he then deleted, Goldblum wrote: "A list of the sites they [the Korean tourists] visited is available in the press … they brought the virus to the Cave of the Patriarchs and from there – through mezuza-kissing Jews – it reached many synagogues throughout Israel and religious and haredi neighborhoods. Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Ashdod, Bnei Brak, Betar Illit, Modi'in Illit, and more."
The Hebrew University issued a strong condemnation of Goldblum's posts, saying that "Amiram Goldblum's disgraceful, racist comments do not reflect the position of the administration of the Hebrew University, or the position of the Hebrew University community, who are working day and night for a diverse society."
The Hebrew University student body includes many members of haredi community.
The university's statement continued: "Thanks to the Hebrew University's commitment to haredi students, we have become the leading university institution in Israel, in the acceptance of haredi students for BA, MA, and doctoral degrees."
According to Goldblum, anyone who wants to say safe will "stay away from mezuzut, not wrap tefillin provided to the public, stay away from public places in religious and haredi neighborhoods for the near future. Until we see that the virus has been eradicated in Israel, it is best to stay out of synagogues, community centers, wedding venues, polling places located in schools, and other public places! Demand that the Interior Ministry provide a polling station in a safe place."
