THE ONLY EXISTENTIAL THREAT IS INTERNAL:

Tensions between mainstream Israelis and ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, have roiled throughout the pandemic.

Top rabbis refused to close religious schools while hundreds of thousands of secular children stayed home, and street-packing Haredi funerals ignored restrictions on gatherings.

The public was infuriated, and blamed Haredi defiance for extended lockdowns.

But beyond hostilities between mainstream Israelis and Haredim, experts said the pandemic has ignited an internal debate within the ultra-Orthodox community over whether its conduct during the crisis was justified.

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