Show will go on: Netanyahu says arts and culture to resume in 2 weeks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pledging to reopen the arts and culture industry in two weeks’ time, according to Hebrew media reports.

Netanyahu meets with representatives of the battered industry at his office for 1.5 hours, according to Channel 12.

He lays down rules for a reopening in early February, including capping attendance to 75 percent capacity and requiring attendees to show a “green passport” indicating they were vaccinated or have recovered from the virus, or a negative test within 72 hours. In the first stage, the audience will be required to wear masks, according to the network.

Arts and culture venues have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, with most shuttered for the bulk of the year under government orders.

Workers from the culture and art industry protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem, on August 11, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)