An Israeli cabinet minister has resigned in protest against plans to impose a second national lockdown.



Corona Virus Pandemic


Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman said the restrictions would prevent Jewish people from celebrating religious festivals later this month.

 

The lockdown is due to come into force on Friday, the Jewish new year, and affect Yom Kippur, on 27 September.

 

Mr. Litzman also threatened to pull his party out of the governing coalition.

The measures will be the most extensive imposed in Israel since the country's first lockdown, which ran from late March until early May.

 

Mr. Litzman said in his resignation letter: "This wrongs and scorns hundreds of thousands of citizens.

 

"Where were you until now? Why have Jewish holidays become a convenient address for tackling the corona virus?"

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism for his handling of the outbreak. Critics say his failure to tackle the virus effectively has led to another national lockdown.

 

Israel, which has a population of about nine million, has reported more than 3,000 new cases a day in recent weeks.

 

Many nations are experiencing second surges of the virus. However, most governments are now imposing smaller local lockdowns in affected areas, rather than blanket national ones.


Benjamin NetanyahuIMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
image captionPrime Minister Netanyahu has faced criticism for his handling of the outbreak

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said in a video posted on Twitter that he supported the planned restrictions.

 

Addressing the cabinet as it convened to vote on the lockdown on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said he regretted Mr. Litzman's resignation.


He said we have to move on, to make the decisions necessary for Israel in the corona virus era.




The country's second lockdown begins on Friday and lasts at least three weeks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the measures would "exact a heavy price on us all", but the country faced a surge with 4,000 new daily infections.

A minister has resigned to protest against the restrictions that overlap with important Jewish festivals.

 

Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman said the measures would prevent Jewish people from celebrating their religious festivals, including Yom Kippur.

 

He also threatened to pull his party out of the governing coalition.

The country has seen 1,108 deaths from Covid-19 and more than 153,000 confirmed infections, according to a global tally kept by US university Johns Hopkins.

 

What are the new restrictions?

Israel, which has a population of about nine million, has reported more than 3,000 new cases a day in recent weeks.

In a televised address on Sunday, the prime minister said this had grown to 4,000 daily.

The measures he announced will be the most extensive imposed in Israel since the first lockdown, which ran from late March until early May, and include:

  • No more than 10 people can meet indoors while groups of 20 are allowed outdoors

  • Schools and shopping centres will close, and Israelis must stay within 500 metres of their homes with the exception of travelling to workplaces

  • Non governmental offices and businesses can stay open but must not accept customers

  • However, supermarkets and pharmacies can remain open to the public.

Mr Netanyahu acknowledged the disruption the lockdown would cause to Jewish communities celebrating religious holidays that normally see families come together.

"This is not the kind of holiday we are used to. And we certainly won't be able to celebrate with our extended families," he said.







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