Israel returns to partial lockdown with immediate weekend shutdown
Israel has reimposed some lockdown measures following a vigorous second surge in the number of coronavirus infections, putting in place stringent weekend shutdowns in which shops, hairdressers and attractions will be closed.
The government announced the measures in the early hours of Friday morning, following a marathon emergency cabinet session called after daily infection rates climbed to close to 2,000.
Gyms and fitness studios will also be closed at all times, while restaurants, which opened again in May, will return to takeaways and deliveries only. All indoor gatherings of 10 or more people will be banned.
Changes start from this weekend, which in Israel begins on Friday afternoon, the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, and last until Sunday, the first working day of the week. Nurseries will remain open, although closures were being considered.
Israel Radio reported that full lockdowns, with people again confined to their homes, might be imposed from next weekend, after parliamentary approval.
During the cabinet meeting, the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the government’s goal was to stop gatherings of people, but added that the new steps may not be “scientific”.
Yair Lapid, the head of the opposition, criticised the partial lockdown, saying it was confusing and not based on evidence. “An entire country is trying to understand why decisions are made in the middle of the night without any data and isn’t able to,” he tweeted on Twitter on Friday.
The country of 9 million was praised initially for a swift lockdown in March that was credited with reducing daily infections to single digits. However, officials and public health officials say the economy was reopened too hastily and without necessary steps taken to control the pandemic.
With more than one in five Israelis
unemployed, Netanyahu has faced mounting public anger over his handling of the crisis, with thousands of protesters holding frequent demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some of which have been dispersed by police.
The Israeli leader is also fighting three corruption allegations, including charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – accusations he denies, dismissing them as part of a politicallymotivated witch-hunt.
Outside his Jerusalem residence on Thursday night, several hundred people banged drums and blew on horns, calling for Israel’s longest-serving leader to resign. Some wore masks with “crime minister” written on them.
Noam Arnonovitch, 32, who lives in Tel Aviv, said he had been seeking employment for a few months while working part-time in bars.
“I came because I think there’s something very deeply wrong with our political culture in Israel,” he said, complaining of what he said was destructive us-versus-them discourse from the government.
“I think that now, because of the extremity of the situation we’ve reached, people are really fed up and we’re starting to feel it in our pockets, in our refrigerators, and in our general sense of security.”
Another demonstrator, Aramit Lotem, said Netanyahu had painted any dissenting voices as those of traitors. “It’s not only the virus,” the 61-yearold Jerusalem resident said. “The virus is really a good opportunity for Netanyahu to manipulate our liberty.”
At a nearby counter-demonstration of about a dozen people, one person said he had come to protest against “the anarchists”. He accused the anti-Netanyahu camp of staging violent demonstrations. “I believe that if you want to change the leader, it’s at a vote.”
On Wednesday, Netanyahu had presented a 6bn shekel (£1.4bn) package, with payments of up to £175 for individuals, rising to nearly £700 for families, arguing it would boost spending and “get the economy moving faster”.
The plan, which needs cabinet approval, was swiftly rejected by senior officials, including government ministers, who said the money should instead be targeted at the poorest citizens. One prominent Israeli columnist, Ben Caspit, accused the leader of “handing out bribes to the masses” to placate nationwide discontent.
A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute thinktank this week found only about 30% of the public trust Netanyahu’s response to the pandemic.
However, other polls have shown his ruling Likud party remains the most popular in the country, even if slightly fewer people would vote for it.