On the eve of the Jewish New Year, Israel introduces general quarantine

(Patria) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday the introduction of a nationwide quarantine due to the persistent rise in the coronavirus rate.

Although the holiday season of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began on Friday, restaurants, schools, shopping malls, and hotels, as well as other businesses, are closing, while residents of Israel will face strict restrictions on movement and gatherings.  

Netanyahu explained that the goal of the measures is to stop the increase in new infections and reduce mortality, even though it will mean a completely different New Year holiday season than usual.

This is the second time since the beginning of the pandemic that a quarantine has been introduced in Israel. Although the first quarantine introduced in March curbed the spread of infection, it dealt a blow to the economy and doubled the unemployment rate.

The quarantine order remains in effect for at least three weeks, after which a relaxation of measures is possible if they prove to have resulted in a lower number of new infections.

The Rosh Hashanah holiday season is celebrated with large family gatherings, while synagogues are full of worshippers, especially during the fast for Yom Kippur, which led the authorities to introduce measures to prevent the spread of infection. Not all members of the government agreed with this decision – Minister of Housing Yaakov Litzman, who represents ultra-Orthodox parties, resigned on Sunday.

In Israel, which has a population of about 9 million, at least 156,596 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed since the beginning of the pandemic, and 1,119 people have died. The current daily increase in new infections is as high as 4,000.

Israel was initially presented as a success story in fighting the epidemic because it closed its borders in a timely manner and took other epidemiological measures. However, criticism followed due to the too rapid opening of businesses and schools, which led to a sharp increase in the rate, which continues to rise persistently.

Criticism was also directed at Prime Minister Netanyahu for alleged inadequate crisis management, and numerous protests were organized in front of his residence in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu, who is under significant pressure from court proceedings and domestic politics, tried to defend himself at a press conference on Sunday, stating that the country emerged from the first quarantine in better condition than many other developed countries. He also used the argument that mortality is low compared to other countries with equally high infection rates.

The Israeli government consists of two rival parties that joined forces to combat the epidemic. The government is accused of mismanagement, especially regarding the health and economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus, which has led to a second general quarantine in just a few months.