Israelis mark Yom Kippur with pandemic pall cast on country
President Reuven Rivlin called on people to light a candle in memory of the more than 1,400 Israelis who have died from COVID-19.
JERUSALEM — The solemn Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which annually sees Israeli life grind to a halt, began Sunday in a nation already under a sweeping coronavirus lockdown.
Every year, businesses shut down, roads empty out and even radio and TV stations go silent as the faithful fast for 25 hours and hold intensive prayers of atonement on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The holiday began at sundown Sunday.
But this year, all nonessential businesses have already been forced to close, and Israelis have been ordered to stay within 1,000 yards of their homes throughout the High Holidays, which began last week with the Jewish New Year and continue to mid-october.
It’s the second nationwide lockdown since the pandemic began.
A lockdown in the spring largely succeeded in containing the outbreak, with new daily cases dropping to around a dozen in May. Authorities then reopened schools and businesses quickly, leading to a surge in cases even as the economy struggled to recover.
President Reuven Rivlin called on people to light a candle in memory of the more than 1,400 Israelis who have died from COVID-19.
As part of the latest lockdown, Israelis can pray only in open areas close to home, with gatherings limited to 20 people. However, synagogues will be allowed to open for limited prayers with social distancing on
Yom Kippur despite warnings from health experts that it could lead to further transmission.
In a videotaped statement Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged mistakes.
Netanyahu has also called for an end for public demonstrations against him, saying they are a public health risk. Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent months, calling on Netanyahu to resign while he is on trial for corruption charges and because of what they say is a failed response to the coronavirus crisis.
With a divided parliament unable to pass legislation banning the demonstrations, Netanyahu last week threatened to impose a state of emergency. Protesters claim that Netanyahu is trying to muzzle them.
Israel’s politically influential ultra-orthodox Jewish community, which has suffered from high rates of infection, is opposed to restrictions on prayers, viewing it as a form of discrimination by mostly secular authorities, especially while demonstrations continue.