Following a discussion that lasted for four hours, the Coronavirus Cabinet decided on Thursday night that synagogues will reopen as of Sunday with a limit of ten worshipers.
The B & Bs, the hairdressers and cosmetics salons will open as well.
On November 8, street shops will reopen. If the decrease in coronavirus cases reaches a weekly average of 500 new verified cases per day or less - the reopening of street shops will take place earlier.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Finance Minister Yisrael Katz voted against the decision. Edelstein demanded that lockdown relief be implemented every two weeks as previously decided, and only when clear data are seen indicating a continued decline in infection rates.
The decision to open the B & Bs was made following pressure from Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen. "After my many efforts, I am very pleased with the decision of the Coronavirus Cabinet tonight to move forward the opening of B & Bs to nuclear families from this coming Sunday," the minister said. "Go out and have fun and thus also help the rural tourism industry, but we all have a responsibility to keep the rules and the health of us all."
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a statement to the media in which he commented on the recent decisions of the Coronavirus Cabinet and told about his efforts to quickly have a vaccine available in Israel.
"We saved many lives through the lockdown - we made a difficult but justified decision," Netanyahu said. "Contrary to what is heard in the media, many experts around the world appreciate our policy. That does not mean that the coronavirus crisis is behind us - our situation has improved, but it is very fragile."
"Only a few weeks ago there were those who spoke in an inflated tone that Israel is in a state of disarray and Europe is in good shape, and today the situation in Europe is difficult with tragic results," the Prime Minister said. "Some European countries fear losing control."
"We are making every effort to open the businesses carefully, we will examine the outline of education in the next two weeks," Netanyahu said. "Only a vaccine can get us into a different coronavirus routine, I will work for that around the clock."