The chairman of the Mahane Yehuda market merchants' committee, Tali Friedman, has attacked the government's decision to only permit shops but not stalls to open in the market, calling the decision "irrational and pointless in economic terms."
"So far, we have not identified a single factor to explain the government's bizarre decision," he said. "It makes no sense to allow crowded stores to open while open-air stalls, which are much safer, are ordered to remain closed. If the government does not rethink its ridiculous decision, we will call on the stall merchants to open regardless. There is a limit to what we can take."