Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week announced a three-week lockdown in the country to fight the spread of the coronavirus and has received swift backlash from critics against the measures, which affect the Jewish high holiday season.
Among the lockdown restrictions in effect, schools, restaurants, and hotels are forced to shut down at least until 11 October, and outdoor gatherings are limited to 20 people with no one attending permitted to travel over 1,000 meters (about 1,100 yards) from their homes to get there.
The report, citing Shira Greenberg, the finance ministry chief economist, said the three-week lockdown will likely cost the economy about 12 billion shekels ($3.5 billion).
Bloomberg’s “QuickTake” Twitter account showed empty beaches and roads in the heart of Tel Aviv. Another Twitter account showed travelers packing Ben Gurion Airport a day before the shutdown was to be implemented.
“Our goal is to stop the increase (in cases) and lower morbidity,” Netanyahu said in a nationally broadcast statement, according to DW.com. “I know that these steps come at a difficult price for all of us. This is not the holiday we are used to.”
Netanyahu wrote on Twitter, “Lockdown is not a punishment – it is a rescue, I call on everyone to abide by the rules.” He told the Israeli cabinet, “We have heard from the experts that if we do not take tough and immediate measures, we will reach the edge of the abyss.”
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Totally absent in all of the reporting is that while 1,466 Israelis died of the virus as of Sunday, out of a nation of 8.844 million, it equals the grand totals of 0.02 percent.
Haaretz reported that worshippers in the country can only attend prayer services within 1,000 meters of where they live during the high holy days. The report said the number of people who can attend synagogue worship depends on the local infection rate.
The new restrictions did not sit well with many citizens, and there are planned protests including one on Facebook Live that had more than 25,000 subscribed demonstrators. A Reuters report said there is a car convoy being prepared to drive past Netanyahu’s residence.
The Jerusalem Post reported Netanyahu was criticized after proposing children receive a microchip when they return to schools amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“I spoke with our heads of technology in order to find measures Israel is good at, such as sensors. For instance, every person, every kid – I want it on kids first – would have a sensor that would sound an alarm when you get too close, like the ones on cars,” the prime minister said, according to the paper.
Einat Meron, a cyber-resilience expert, told Ynet that “microchipping children will not pass any test – both practically and legally.”
TRENDPOST: As with leaders of other nations where demonstrations were raging prior to the COVID War (see our 10 December 2019 Top Trend, “2020 NEW WORLD DISORDER”), Netanyahu, who has been indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, is now using lockdown rules to stop the three months of protests that have been raging against him.
Despite being faced with arrests for breaking the virus restrictions, an estimated 18,000 Israeli citizens jammed into Jerusalem on Sunday demanding Prime Minister Netanyahu resign.
There were reports of long lines of cars as people from all over the country joined the protests, gathering outside the Prime Minister’s residence despite restrictions that citizens cannot protest farther than 1000 meters (0.6 mile) from their homes.
