In an unusual directive, Netanya’s rabbis on Tuesday night ordered the immediate closure of the city's separate Tzanz Beach and imposed a sweeping ban on entering the area, following a cliff collapse nearby.
The announcement, published on a large sign at the beach entrance, warned the city’s haredi community of the potential risk to life.
The rabbis said the decision was made after consulting with safety professionals, emphasizing that in addition to the cliff hazard, there are currently no active lifeguard services at the site.
"We impose a complete prohibition on going down to the beach until approval is received from safety authorities to resume activity," the notice stated. "There is a clear halakhic (pertaining to Jewish law -ed.) obligation to safeguard human life, especially the safety of children."
Nearly all of the city’s rabbis signed the notice. The decision comes in the wake of a tragedy about two weeks ago, when two brothers from the Spiegel family, Yissachar Dov and Avraham Yeshayahu, lost their lives at sea.
Yissachar Dov was pulled from the water alive, but his condition deteriorated and he later died at Laniado Hospital. His brother, Avraham Yeshayahu, was found only ten days later.