JERUSALEM – As he seeks reelection, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned to a straightforward strategy: Count on the rock-solid support of his ultra-Orthodox political allies and stamp out the coronavirus pandemic with one of the world’s most aggressive vaccination campaigns.
But with ultra-Orthodox communities openly flouting safety guidelines and violently clashing with police trying to enforce them, this marriage of convenience is turning into a burden.
Netanyahu has watched his political partners undermine the country’s war against the virus and spark a public backlash that threatens him at the ballot box. “Netanyahu’s hope is that Israel will be the first country in the world to be vaccinated, that he will be able to