Haredim oppose bill hiking fines on violations, Death toll continues to spike, reaches 4,609
By JDN
If the bill increasing fines for violations of coronavirus restriction is not approved, Blue and White will not support the extension of the lockdown, a spokesperson for the party said Thursday.
The cabinet is supposed to meet later in the day to extend the current set of restrictions – including the complete closure of Israel’s borders – which are scheduled to expire on Sunday, January 31.
The proposed law has become the latest point of contention between Blue and White, Likud and the Haredi parties. For days, Blue and White has demanded a society-wide increase in law enforcement before agreeing to convene the cabinet to discuss postponing the end of the current measures.
A watered down version of the bill was stalled on Wednesday in the Knesset Law Committee, which is headed by United Torah Judaism MK Yakov Asher.
The Likud moderated between Blue and White and Haredim on the bill, but Blue and White did not accept the Likud’s compromise proposals – to give a 48-hour warning to an institution ahead of its closure, requiring three violations for it to close, or limiting such decisions to high-ranking police officers.
Prime Minister Netanyahu committed his party to backing the bill, but Blue and White officials accused the Likud of expressing support while preventing its passage.
“Lifting the lockdown in the present situation would be highly irresponsible,” Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said while visiting the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon together with coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash, Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Chezy Levy, and Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis. The minister added that he understood the frustration of Israeli citizens and that he hoped that the current restriction will need to be maintained only for a short period.
