In a meeting of the government's coronavirus cabinet today, Construction and Housing Minister Yakov Litzman (UTJ) demanded that synagogues be subject to the same restrictions as those applied to hotel restaurants, which are permitted to accommodate up to 35% of their capacity at any one time.
"There is no logical reason for discriminating between people coming to pray in a synagogue, where only 10 people are currently permitted to gather at any one time, and restaurant clientele, where up to 35% of the area's capacity may be filled. The discrimination is even more blatant considering that people eating in a restaurant are not required to wear face masks while eating, whereas those praying in synagogues are required to wear them and also to adhere to social distancing regulations."
Litzman, the former Health Minister, also noted that, "The data showing coronavirus transmissions within synagogues reveals a low rate of contagion, especially in comparison to hotels and restaurants. This situation must be rectified," he concluded.