An empty storefront in downtown Jerusalem on November 10, 2020. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
Forced into a weekslong shutdown for the third time since the start of the pandemic, business owners on Thursday protested the nationwide lockdown set to come into force on Sunday to stem virus infections.
The government regulations, which permit the partial opening of some school grades, also drew criticism from parents and local authorities, who called for the swift vaccination of teachers.
“It feels like this lockdown is unnecessary,” Shani Nuri Mamalia, a cosmetician from the central town of Kfar Saba, told the Ynet news site. “It’s confusing and frustrating to all industries. This is a war of attrition against us.”