Israel bans visits to military cemeteries, imposes Ramadan curfew

Apr 22, 2020

With the number of coronavirus infections on the rise, Israel’s Cabinet approved today a series of restrictions concerning upcoming Memorial Day, Independence Day and Ramadan celebrations.

As of April 23, to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan, all stores in towns with majority Muslim populations will be closed to the public from evening until dawn, to discourage people from congregating for festive iftar dinners. Deliveries of food will continue, and pharmacies are allowed to stay open.

On April 28, or Memorial Day, visits to military cemeteries and memorial sites are banned. Intercity travel will be prohibited, except for those authorized to work outside the home and for shopping in permitted stores. On Independence Day, April 29, Israel will enter a nationwide lockdown, requiring people to remain within 100 meters of their homes.

On April 18, after the Passover holiday ended, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the easing of some restrictions, with the intent of slowly resuming economic activities and opening shops and businesses. Schools for children with special needs were to reopen, and prayer in small groups of up to 19 people outside could resume.

Though the government took its time to make decisions regarding next week’s holidays, Israelis knew that these new April 22 restrictions were in the offing. Authorities would not repeat the mistake of the Purim festival March 10, when festivities, especially within ultra-Orthodox communities, generated sharp spikes in the number of coronavirus cases.