JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday evening for a week, the government announced on Sunday as protesters from some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities clashed with police over measures coronavirus blockade.
Clashes broke out between ultra-Orthodox protesters in the town of Bnei Brak and police forces who came to enforce the closure. A police officer, who felt his life was in danger, fired into the air to repel the crowds, police said. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
The flight ban will take effect from Monday at 22:00 GMT and will last until the end of January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“Apart from the rare exceptions, we are closing the sky tightly to prevent the entry of virus variants and also to ensure that we move forward quickly with our vaccination campaign,” Netanyahu said in public statements at the beginning of a meeting. of cabinet.
The country’s borders have been largely closed to foreigners during the pandemic, and only Israeli passport holders have allowed entry.
The country has been under a third national blockade since December 27. Critics say the government has mismanaged the crisis, without a clear long-term strategy and allowing politics to wrap up its decisions.
Anger has increased in Israel in some ultra-Orthodox communities that have defied blockade restrictions and opened schools and seminars. The study of Jewish scriptures is one of the most important religious decrees for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Ultra-Orthodox parties have long been political allies of Netanyahu’s Likud party.
The government intended to withdraw the closure in late January, but Education Minister Yoav Galant, speaking on Ynet TV, said it was too early to know if schools would reopen next month.
Israel expanded its rapid vaccination campaign on Sunday to include late teens in what the government described as an effort to allow them to attend school exams.
Vaccines were initially limited to the elderly and other high-risk categories, but are now available to anyone over the age of 40 or, with parental permission, between the ages of 16 and 18.
Israel has the fastest vaccine distribution rate in the world. With regular vaccine imports Pfizer Inc. has administered at least one dose to more than 25 percent of its 9 million population since Dec. 19, according to the Ministry of Health.
Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he would propose to parliament a new aid package for unemployed businesses, households and Israelis affected by the crisis.
Written by Maayan Lubell and Dan Williams; Edited by Frances Kerry