The war against the new coronavirus is a world war. Each and every country around the globe is investing its resources in saving human lives and adopting preventive measures against mass contagion. All countries are anxious about suffering countrywide health system and hospital failures. This is in addition to anticipated economic crises, which no one really knows how to assess at this point in time. But in Israel, in addition to all of this, a vicious, uncompromising political war is being waged. Even as the coronavirus spreads, no truce is in the offing despite the “situation.” This is a full-fledged political war in all its ugliness and disconnection.

As a reminder, shortly after its swearing-in on March 18, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein dispersed the Israeli legislature, preventing the plenum from voting on replacing him and establishing House committees. Following petitions, the High Court of Justice intervened to enable the Knesset to convene. Subsequently, the center-left bloc, which holds the majority in the new Knesset, would choose on March 23 the composition of several Knesset committees.

But which line of action did the right-wing, ultra-Orthodox bloc — which follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through thick and thin, even in the coronavirus era — choose to adopt? They decided to boycott the discussions. In other words: If they can’t call the shots in the Knesset because they lack a majority, they won’t be partners in the Israeli parliament, period.

And, as aforesaid, all of this is taking place when Israel is subject to an almost-hermetic closure: The number of coronavirus sufferers is increasing alarmingly, businesses are falling apart, and about half a million jobless people are sealed in their homes and anxious at seeing their livelihoods go down the drain.