The head of the National Union faction (within the Yamina party), MK Betzalel Smotrich, has warned the government that the country needs to commence serious preparations for at least part of this coming winter under coronavirus restrictions.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister (Aryeh Deri), the Health Minister (Yuli Edelstein), and the Minister for Religious Affairs (Yaakov Avitan), Smotrich pointed out that since everyone knows that winter, along with cold and rainy weather, is coming soon, there is no excuse for delaying vital preparations.
His comments were made specifically with regard to synagogues, still not permitted to reopen under current coronavirus guidelines. During the summer, communal prayers have been held outdoors, where 20 people are allowed to congregate in one area, but once winter arrives in earnest, this of course will no longer be possible.
The original plan for easing lockdown restrictions included the reopening of synagogues during the second stage, that is set to commence on November 1, but so far, a decision on the matter has been shelved, and subsequent outlines for reopening the country have omitted mention of synagogues.
“Winter is approaching, and with it, a big question mark regarding the continued viability of holding prayers out of doors,” he wrote. “The winter is hardly going to arrive as a big surprise, and so, unlike the government’s tardy response to preparing for the High Holidays, this time, the government should make its decisions with plenty of time to spare. I have no idea if we will be able to find a solution that solves the problem one hundred percent, but life is not black-and-white, and even a partial solution is better than no solution at all.”
Smotrich added that, “First and foremost, the government must recognize that once the weather changes, we won’t be able to continue holding public prayers outside, and therefore it’s essential to take this fact into account when decisions are made on which aspects of the lockdown to ease at which stage, balancing the needs of public health with those of the religious public.”
“In addition,” he wrote, “the government might consider permitting the erection of some sort of outdoor shelter where prayers can be held. And of course, appropriate financial assistance should be provided to local authorities to make all necessary preparations,” he noted.
“I very much hope and request that the government will resolve the issue and publish its decision in a timely manner,” he concluded. “The huge numbers of people who pray regularly in the country need to know and feel that matters of the utmost importance to them are on the government’s agenda.”