Event hall (illustrative)
Event hall (illustrative)iStock

The Supreme Court on Sunday rejected an appeal by event hall owners who requested to be allowed to reopen earlier than scheduled.

In their appeal, the owners claimed that the Health Ministry took only secular couples who marry in open areas and do not mind changing their wedding date, into account. They also claimed that there is no practical difference between a large restaurant and an event hall, and therefore event halls should be allowed to reopen at the same time as restaurants.

However, Supreme Court Justice Menache Mazuz said that he does not see a reason to interfere in the Health Ministry's decisions, since the court "did not find fault with the reasoning of the respondents, who believe that event halls are not the same as eateries."

"As was explained in the State's response, there are relevant differences between a restaurant or cafe and a wedding (or other event) in an event hall, among others regarding the number of people concentrated in one place, the amount of space between them (for instance, during dancing), and the difference in the amount of time an event takes."

Mazuz also noted that event halls will be allowed to reopen next week: "The date when the plan allows event halls to reopen is June 14, 2020, meaning in another few days, under the assumption and with the hope that there will be no change in infection rates which will force re-examination of the issue. Therefore, the appeal is rejected."