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What happened: Israel’s cabinet has eased some of the coronavirus restrictions to allow for more economic activity, while yesterday saw several demonstrations across the country.

• The government announced that 30 per cent of the workforce can to go back to work, provided the workplace met Health Ministry guidelines. Many shops can be reopened, except those in shopping malls and outdoor markets and stores that sell clothing, shoes and toys will remain closed. Public transportation will also increase to accommodate the scope of commercial activity.
• Small groups of disabled children in special-education can now return to school, whilst groups of three families are allowed to organise shared childcare services for their children. Yesterday also saw a re-concerted effort by schools to engage in remote learning.
• People will be allowed to go outdoors to play sport activities in couples. Up to 19 people will be permitted to gather outside synagogues to worship together, provided they all wear masks. However, beaches, parks, playgrounds and municipal sports areas will remain closed.
• Yesterday also saw a range of protests; hundreds of self-employed small business owners protested near the Knesset over the loss of income and their dire financial pressure.They blocked roads and set fire to tires. One protestor on Channel 12 News directed his anger at the Prime Minister, saying: “We voted for you. You were chosen as one who knows how to manage wars. In the coronavirus war you’ve failed! You need to get up and get out!”
• The protestors then moved on to rally outside President Reuven Rivlin’s official residence. Representatives were invited inside for impromptu talks with the President, who told them: “I understand that the Finance Ministry intends on improving its grants and I understand that you are in a tough situation with the banks and I promise you I will do everything possible to relay your protest. This is an emergency situation which is like war, and we must see the big picture without abandoning anyone. What you said here will be relayed as you said it. You came to me and said what you had to say and I will deal with it.”
• Protests also broke out in Tel Aviv that included hairdressers and beauticians who are not being allowed to return to work.
• Last night several thousand people attended the “black flag” demonstration in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square to protest what they believe are anti-democratic measures passed during the coronavirus crisis. The organisers placed markers on the floor for the demonstrators to use to position themselves to guarantee that social distancing measures were maintained. Several politicians and public figures gave speeches, including Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid, who criticised his former Blue and White partner Benny Gantz for entering into coalition talks with Netanyahu by saying, “You don’t fight corruption from inside. If you’re inside, you’ve capitulated.”

Context: So far, 13,654 Israelis have tested positive for the coronavirus and 173 have died. 150 patients are in serious condition and 3,872 have recovered. On Sunday, there were only 109 patients on ventilators, a 7.6 per cent decline from the previous day’s figures.

• The government’s decision to relax restrictions come as over half a million self-employed business owners are without any possibility of working from home. The self-employed and small business owners are requesting equal rights to employees when calculating unemployment benefit and to establish a compensation fund for businesses.
• The Finance Ministry wants to expand economic activity to 50 per cent in the near future and to reach 100 per cent within one month’s time. However, the Health Ministry is arguing that there should be fewer than 100 newly-infected people in Israel before the lifting of public restrictions, whereas the cabinet ministers have demanded that shopping malls, hairdressers and beauticians be allowed to reopen for business.
• The easing of conditions is not without risks, an anonymous cabinet minister told Maariv. “The public is liable to interpret the eased restrictions as a return to normal life and might not maintain the rules of social distancing and the lockdown. That is liable to lead to a large-scale outbreak. It must be understood: the objective of the eased restrictions is to facilitate commerce and employment, not leisure activity.”
• Referring to the return of traffic outside Tel Aviv on Sunday, Amos Harel said that “in practice, the public is already preoccupied with the day after, calculating their own exit strategies from the crisis”.

Looking ahead: Later today government officials are expected to cancel the lockdown of Bnei Brak and various neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, which have seen high rates of Covid-19 infection, as the spread has now slowed down considerably. Residents of those areas still need to comply with the same rules as the rest of the country.

• The workplace regulations described above are currently in effect until 30 April.