Some eatery owners are threatening to defy closure orders and stay open on Tuesday to protest restrictions meant to stem the tide of coronavirus infections.
Some of the restaurants had already vowed to stay open on Friday to protest the lack of warning from the government for the shutdown order, leading officials to push off the planned closures from Friday to Tuesday.
“The decision to close restaurants is ridiculous and illogical. There is no scientific study that shows high infection rates in restaurants, but the opposite,” one rebel owner tells Ynet.
(The owner refuses to reveal his name for fear of being fined, though he will likely have trouble avoiding the law if he does open on Tuesday, unless he converts into a speakeasy.)
A waitress handles chairs in a restaurant in downtown Jerusalem on July 17, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Some restaurateurs are demanding that the government agree to compensate them in advance, in exchange for compliance with the law, according to some reports.
Restaurant and bar owners are planning to hold a “protest” meal for the needy outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Representatives from the sector are set to meet with PM Benjamin Netanyahu at his office later Sunday, according to reports.
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