From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Lapid blasts government’s ‘confused’ wartime restrictions as economy reopens but schools stay shut
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams the government’s wartime restriction policies as “confused” after the Home Front Command eased workplace restrictions yesterday at the request of the Finance Ministry, while schools remain closed.
“It is unacceptable for decisions and guidelines about reopening the economy to be so confused. It is unacceptable that the Education Ministry is not coordinated with the Finance Ministry and local authorities,” the Yesh Atid faction chair writes in a post on X.
“The situation is particularly severe in special education, where there is no solution for children and young people with special needs,” Lapid continues, demanding that the Prime Minister’s Office coordinate with “all the relevant bodies and bring order.”
The statement follows yesterday’s announcement from the Education Ministry that schools would continue with distance learning today and tomorrow, followed by an announcement from the IDF Home Front Command a few hours later that it was easing restrictions that were imposed at the start of the conflict.
As part of the changes, educational activities remain prohibited, except for a number of outlined exceptions; gatherings of up to 50 people are permitted, provided a shelter can be reached in time; and workplaces can operate under the same conditions.
Emanuel Fabian and Sharon Wrobel contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.