A protest by thousands of Israelis in the tourism industry was held outside the finance ministry on Tuesday.
“You don’t understand what zero income is with only expenses,” Kobi Karni, chairman of the Israel Association of Travel Agencies accused politicians at the protest. “You don’t know what financial incapacity is. For you, financial incapacity is someone who lives in a villa earning tens of thousands of shekels a month.”
The protestors shouted “Open the skies!” as they waved paper airplanes.
מחאת ענף התיירות מול משרד האוצר | מנכ"ל ארקיע ירון אמזלג דורש להאריך את החל"תים בענף, לקבוע תאריכים לפתיחת השמיים, לתת מענקים ולהתאים את ההלוואות ליכולת התזרימית של החברות. 5,000 בני אדם מפגינים במקום @sharonidan pic.twitter.com/PNauQyZwAm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 30, 2020
Chareidi travel agents set up a protest tent outside the Knesset. Below are photos of Transportation Minister Uri Maklev and the newly sworn-in Degel HaTorah MKs (due to the passing of the Norwegian Law), Yitzchak Pindrus and Eliyahu Bruchi, visiting the tent. The second photo shows MK Yisrael Eichler (Agudas Yisrael) visiting the tent.
סגן שר התחבורה אורי מקלב והח"כים הטריים של דגל התורה יצחק פינדרוס ואליהו ברוכי, ירדו למאהל מחאת סוכני הנסיעות שמעבר לכנסת.
ברוכי: "לדבר? לא באתי לדבר. באתי לשמוע. לראות את הכאב בעיניים". pic.twitter.com/kpJmLB5ZgA
— אבי רבינא Avi Ravina (@AviRabina) June 29, 2020
ח"כ ישראל אייכלר במאהל מחאת סוכני התיירות החרדיים pic.twitter.com/rxT7ocRL4i
— ישראל כהן (@Israelcohen911) June 29, 2020
Following a lull in virus cases in Israel in May, Greece and Cyprus announced they would allow Israeli tourists to visit their countries. Travel and tourist agents were hopeful as they envisioned their businesses picking up.
Unfortunately, at the beginning of June, the rate of coronavirus cases in Israel began to rise following the opening of the economy and schools in late May.
In the wake of Israel’s increased virus infection rate, the European Union announced on Saturday that Israel is now classified as “red country” due to its increasing infection rate and it will not be included on the list of “safe” countries whose citizens will be allowed into the EU. (The United States is also excluded from the list.)
The Information and Research Center of the National Security Council said on Tuesday that if coronavirus cases continue to rise, Israel will not open its skies on August 1, KAN News reported.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
Test tourists who wish to come to Israel, and let them in, if they test negative. Absolute insane and evil and heartless to blockade everyone from entry to Israel, because of the unfortunate still low % victims of Corona.
If Israeli Government really cares [which they don’t] they would have been way more prudent before reopening schools & kindergartens, and would have kept trains running throughout to reduce congestion on buses. All this in addition to should have quarantined President Rivlin, when 3 of his staff tested positive, and shouldn’t let Pompeo nor Greek Prime Minister come in, if they really concerned about their borders.
To do what 147 says we need accurate rapid testing. one place was testing a new test where you spit in a cup and get the result in an hour. If we could get this type of thing going…