Minutes after the evacuation of the infants from the daycare center in Jerusalem and the deaths of two of them, blame was directed at the judicial system from within the haredi community.
MK Moshe Arbel (Shas) linked the tragedy at the unlicensed "pirate" daycare center to judicial decisions that led to the cancellation of subsidies for families of married yeshiva students who do not report for military service.
According to Arbel, “In the State of Israel, the children of illegal infiltrators are entitled to daycare centers and preschools. In the name of the battle against the haredi public, the children of yeshiva students are expelled from supervised daycare centers. The blood of innocent infants, who never tasted sin, cries out from the ground. We must all stop the persecution - children’s lives must be kept outside of any political struggle."
Haredi commentator Yisrael Cohen wrote, “The blood is on their hands! Just a reminder that the Attorney General and the judicial system pushed an entire haredi public into a corner, canceled daycare subsidies for haredi toddlers, and parents were economically forced to move them to private daycare centers. Today’s severe incident is already the painful and tragic result."
Earlier on Monday, the deaths of two four-month-old infants were pronounced at Hadassah Mount Scopus and Shaare Zedek hospitals, after they were evacuated from the daycare unconscious. Magen David Adom (MDA) teams performed prolonged resuscitation efforts, but without success.
In total, 53 infants were evacuated from the daycare center. The remaining toddlers were examined at hospitals and were defined as being in mild condition. Three caregivers and assistants from the daycare were detained for questioning after it was determined that the facility had been operating without a license, in violation of the law.
The National Council for the Welfare of the Child expressed "deep shock" at the tragedy, stating: "The police and the Ministry of Education must immediately examine not only severe negligence, but also the issue of the preschool's operating license."
It added that "swift and comprehensive action is needed to ensure that frameworks which do not meet legal licensing requirements, standards, and supervision are not allowed to operate, and that they do not endanger the lives of those who cannot even warn of immediate, life-threatening dangers."