The owners of banquet halls where weddings and other events are held continued their hunger strike despite the Health Ministry finally agreeing that they could resume operations.
The Association of Banquet Hall Owners responded to a plan for a return to operations as follows:
"We congratulate Health Minister Edelstein for his immediate approval in record time for our return to work," the owners said. "At the same time, however, no response has been made to the economic collapse of 50 percent of the banquet halls and outdoor entertainment venues in Israel, which have suffered enormous damage from which we are unable to recover."
"These are our friends, and until they find a solution that will allow them to be rescued - we cannot leave them behind, so we are forced to continue the hunger strike, even in extreme weather conditions. We know Israel Katz and Moshe Gaffni have good intentions and ask them to reach out and rescue us from the abyss we are in, so we can all come back, work, and make the people of Israel happy," the owners added.