Fifteen Israeli municipalities announced on Sunday that they will allow 7th to 10th graders to return to their classrooms on Wednesday, in defiance of government directives that call for those grades only returning to in-school classes on March 9.

All other grades have returned to their classrooms as of Sunday.

The cities that intend to defy government orders are: Ashdod, Be’er Sheva,, Givatayim, Hertzliya, Hadera, Holon, Haifa, Kfar Saba, Netanya, Petach Tikva, Ramat HaSharon, Rishon L’Tzion, Rechovot, Ramat Gan, Ra’anana, and Tel Aviv-Yafo.

The cities, which apart from Ramat HaSharon, are part of Forum 15 – The Israeli Forum of Self-Government Cities, which represents most of Israel’s major cities, stated that they are taking this step due to the “severe educational, social and psychological impact,” of the students’ prolonged absence from their classrooms.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)