Why covid-19 has spread among Israel’s ultra-Orthodox

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THIS WAS to be the week when Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, finally won. After three inconclusive elections in the span of a year, he had all but convinced his bitter rival, Benny Gantz, to join him in government. There were still some things to be worked out, such as how fast to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, and who would lead the justice ministry and thus oversee Mr Netanyahu’s corruption trial. But Mr Gantz’s Blue and White party had already split, with about half its representatives supporting a coalition deal that would leave Mr Netanyahu in office until September 2021, when he would hand over to Mr Gantz.

Alas, the outbreak of covid-19 is getting in the way. On March 30th Mr Netanyahu isolated himself after an aide came down with the virus. Mr Netanyahu tested negative for the disease and left quarantine days later. But he went back into isolation after the health minister was diagnosed with the virus on April 1st....