Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attacked the conduct of the Pittsburgh Rebbe's hassidim at his funeral that was attended by thousands, violating coronavirus regulations.
"I send my condolences to the admirers of the Rebbe of Pittsburgh, but regarding the funeral in Ashdod, it was a serious violation of the rules. This creates two problems that we've also seen in other gatherings: It creates a coronavirus incubator and it also unravels the unity. This is something that is unbearable," Netanyahu said.
"We see this in prayers too, unfortunately, we also see it in demonstrations. I call on both the haredi public and the secular public - all Israeli citizens - to abide by the rules. We want a uniform observance of the rules and uniform enforcement. In the end, we need the cooperation of the citizens of Israel and also of the leaders of the public," the Prime Minister explained.
He requested that people refrain from attending religious gatherings: "The Simchat Beit haShoeva is before us. The rabbis themselves said this year - refrain. The Simchat Beit haShoeva could easily turn into a Tragedy of Beit HaShoeva. Therefore, the simple rule - one who wants to protect his life should stay away. Guard your lives exceedingly. I ask for the cooperation of all in one effort on Sukkot - to unite the people of Israel around these simple rules.
"I say this to the entire public in these gatherings - take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones and take care of the citizens of Israel. This is exactly what needs to be done at the moment, and any violation harms each of you, your loved ones, and the citizens of Israel," the Prime Minister said.
Netanyahu said that a decision would be made only in a week regarding the easing or tightening of the closure. "We must act on data. I said yesterday that there is cautious optimism, but I'm more cautious than those who are careful. I think we've learned that it's worthwhile to work in a very measured and orderly way. We currently store this data every day. We will have data only after next weekend, after Sunday. The Health Minister requested that the data be collected by Monday after Simchat Torah, to make an informed decision. Therefore, I don't intend to bring either easements or increases to the closure by Monday.
"Regarding the indices and targets for defining the exit stages, this is no easy decision. We see what's happening right now, not only here, but what's happening in the world. Europe has a second wave and it's intensifying. In Madrid, Paris, and London, there will probably soon be closures. There are also reductions in restrictions, but they're already there. Europe opened up after us and it's closing after us, but it's closing as well," he added.
The Prime Minister concluded: "I think we need to be very, very responsible in the way we act, and when I say responsible it's very much not currently affected by pressures or demands from sectors or other considerations, and as we stand together we can do it. If there is one thing that characterized the first wave is that we stood together as a united government. If we want to achieve the same blessed results that were in the first wave, we must stand together also now.
"It means people can have their say but in the end everyone comes together around the decision we'll make here in the Coronavirus Cabinet and if necessary also in the government. I very much hope we're on a downward trend. We could easily miss it but we can also strengthen it only if we act wisely and responsibly."