When you mix politics with science and medicine - you get politics.
When you mix politics with religion - you get politics.
Anytime politics is involved it will be tainted.
There is a battle in the Israeli Knesset with the religious parties fighting against the secular parties to keep the shuls and yeshivos open.
I don't GET IT!!
If it is really dangerous to keep the shuls and yeshivos open then EVERYBODY should want them closed. If it is NOT dangerous - then everybody should want them open. The religious for obvious reasons and the irreligious because this is a free country. So is it dangerous or not? If I may wax lomdish for a moment: What is the נקודת המחלוקת?? Is it whether there is danger with the religious insisting that there is not danger and the irreligious insisting that there isn't?? [What biases are their opinions based on??] If that is the issue - then BY GOLLY - do what both sides should reasonably agree to do. Go to infectious disease experts and ask their opinion. If they are not sure then ספק נפשות להקל and everybody should be happy to stay home in order to fulfill the רצון השם to guard our lives. If they say that there is no danger - then everybody should agree to open.
Lives - both physical and spiritual - are at stake and this is just being politicized. Closing the Yeshivos has been an absolute disaster. One cannot reasonably expect teenagers to have no structure and not fall spiritually [as has happened big time to a lot of kids]. But if physical lives are in danger that takes precedence and alternative solutions must be found for learning and davening.
But all we are left with is Knesset members fighting this out. Politics shmolitics.
In America it is the same. Too much politics and not enough sound medical data. Maybe b/c the medical community knows so little about this Covid monster.
