Thursday, March 28

Tightened Israel Lockdown in Effect From Friday

In Israel, a further tightened lockdown will apply from Friday due to increasing numbers of corona infections.

 

Most businesses are closed, schools remain closed, and synagogues close, except for the upcoming religious holidays.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced earlier this week that the lockdown measures that took effect last Friday would be tightened. The measures are in effect for at least two more weeks.

The government also wanted to prohibit Israelis from going further than 1 kilometre from home. According to government critics, the latter measure was intended to end demonstrations in front of Netanyahu’s home against the faltering government approach to the corona epidemic and economic crisis.

Because the measure did not receive enough support in parliament, the demonstrations can continue for the time being.

Netanyahu’s Likud party wanted to push the measure through the cabinet as an “emergency measure”, but received no support from coalition member Blauw-Wit. The defence minister and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said his party “will not allow emergency measures to be used to prevent demonstrations.”

The Movement for Quality of Government, a civil rights organization critical of the Netanyahu cabinet, said despite the tightened lockdown by demonstrating “following the law and with the approval of the Israeli police.”

A poll by an independent institute found that only 27 percent of Israelis are confident in Netanyahu’s approach to the corona epidemic.

Leave a Reply