As Israel’s fourth coronavirus wave continues, with over 3,000 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Monday morning and 15 cities and towns designated as “red,” a secret coronavirus cabinet document reveals that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has issued instructions to prepare for a fourth lockdown during the Yamim Tovim, Kan News reported on Sunday night.
“The prime minister outlined the main efforts we’re advancing,” the document states. “If all these [measures] don’t help, we will require tighter restrictions, including a lockdown, which we will probably schedule over the Chagim to keep [economic] damages to a minimum.”
Bennett hinted at the possibility of a lockdown on Sunday morning during the cabinet meeting when he said: “If we’ll vaccinate in Elul, we’ll be able to hear the shofar in Tishrei.”
On the other hand, a substantial number of ministers in the coalition are adamantly against opposing a lockdown, including some who serve in the coronavirus cabinet, so it remains to be seen if a lockdown would be approved.
If a lockdown would be declared over the Chagim, it would be met with great anger by the Charedi MKs, who have been warning for weeks not to allow Israelis free reign during summer vacation and only impose restrictions over the Yamim Tovim.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
with over 3,000 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Monday morning This based on ratio to Israeli population, is higher ratio than 100,000 new cases in USA based on ratio to USA population.
to keep [economic] damages to a minimum If this really would concern you Bennett which it doesn’t, you would open border to vaccinated Corona free foreigners.
All you Bennett want to is show total contempt & disdain to the ימים-טובים and most significant & meaningful days on the entire Jewish calendar.
The timing of any closure orders should be driven by the data governing infection rates, hospitalizations etc., not by the “calendar”. The situation has worsened in the past several weeks and if it doesn’t improve, they may need to order a shutdown even before the yom tovim.
Unfortunately people have prioritized partying, traveling and social events together over opening schools, davening in shul and being able to visit our grandparents.We have only ourselves to blame.
If Bennet repents in Elul, maybe he will be zocheh to the Shofars merit in Tishrei !!
So let me get this straight! There is a rise in the numbers today, Rosh Chodesh Elul so, in order to properly combat it, we will close the country/lockdown in 30 days from now on Rosh Chodesh Tishrei! That sounds like the wise old sages of Chelm to me! Hey, next week’s Wise Old Sages of Chelm column in the Jewish Press, here’s your story!
why tishre
if the numbers are going up, lockdown today- why you waiting for another 4 weeks
I don’t understand the hysteric here. First, we are discussing tentative plans. The situation has been changing in ways that are not always understood beforehand. Every chacham aims to רואה את הנולד, and that means needing to plan for possible scenarios that might come about. Should the situation be bad enough by chagim time, it would be a hundred times better to make decisions having thought about and planned things in advance. Waiting until the last minute and then trying to plan is generally a bad approach to most important decisions.
Second, most people here likely agree that in the past 18 months, the lockdowns have been very effective. When we had rampant spread of the virus, strict lockdown were able to significantly slow that down. Of course there was tremendous cost to that, and those in charge believed that that tremendous cost was still lower than the cost of not locking down – continued loss of life, potential danger to the health establishment, and further economic fallout.
Third, everyone here understands that making these decisions is complex. No one wants to lock down for no reason, and so every government has tried to delay them. At the same time, sometimes if we wait too long, then it will be too late. Looking back, it seems likely that if the lockdown last summer began earlier, then it could have been much shorter and more effective.
Fourth, of course locking down around the chagim would be absolutely terrible. But maybe that’s the best solution given the reality of the pandemic and its consequences. You need to be very uninformed to think that govt would be davka doing this around the chagim to spite frum people. When Bibi shut down before the sedarim, it was because tons of Israelis, frum and not, travel and get together on Pesach, which would have led to significantly more spread. Ditto for R”H.
These aren’t easy decisions, but pretending that the obvious “right” answer is do nothing, or lock down earlier or later, is just not reasonable.
Make no mistake about this; the coronavirus is political and grabbing of more power by those in power and nothing about the virus.
I meant to say coronavirus is used as a political weapon and excuse for power grabbing.
israel is such an evil country
anyone who doesn’t see that is just stupid beyond words
How may from these numbers are seriously infected?
Whatever will happen will be Hashem’s will. We have to increase in teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah.