Health Ministry publishes outline for holding protests during lockdown

"In these complicated days of dealing with a state of emergency that requires limiting the freedom of individuals, increased efforts need to be made in order to protect the freedom of speech."

By TOBIAS SIEGAL
Carmi Gillon, former head of the Shin Bet, arrested during Balfour protests, August 20, 2020. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Carmi Gillon, former head of the Shin Bet, arrested during Balfour protests, August 20, 2020.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Health Ministry published on Friday, Rosh Hashanah eve, its outline for holding protests during the coronavirus pandemic and specifically the nationwide lockdown.
“In these complicated days of dealing with a state of emergency that requires limiting the freedom of individuals, increased efforts need to be made in order to protect the freedom of speech,” the document read.
According to the outline, protests, like other gatherings, pose a threat of increased infections. Moreover, “there exists an additional threat to police officers whose job is to maintain public order during protests, and are often required to come to close contact with protesters.”
In an attempt to balance between the right to protest and safeguarding the public’s health, protests will still be allowed, but in a limited form and with more restrictions.
First, every person participating in a protest will be required to wear a mask at all times, and not doing so will result in a NIS 500 fine.
Furthermore, protests will take place in groups of 20 people, while keeping as much of a distance as possible between each group.
In order to limit the potential of new infections, protest organizers will be required to appoint ushers whose job will be to walk around protesters and remind them of the restrictions and assist in maintaining the separation into groups of 20.
The new restrictions were drafted during a meeting that included representatives from the Health Ministry and Israel Police, approved by the Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit and came into effect on Friday, September 18, at 2:00 p.m.
A joint statement by the Health Ministry and Israel Police stated that the restrictions will be reexamined according to developments on the field and the professional opinion of experts, as more data is collected.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel congratulated the decision, stating that “the right to protests and the freedom of speech are basic laws in a democratic society... the Movement calls on the public to go out and demonstrate, while keeping the guidelines.”
Israel has been experiencing political turmoil in recent months, with weekly protests taking place in front of the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea and on bridges and intersections across the country, with demonstrators demanding that the prime minister resign.
The Crime Minister Movement, which has played a major role in organizing recent protests, expressed the importance of the decision.
“Enforcement and health officials determined, [and wrote it out] in black and white, that the protests shouldn’t be halted and have emphasized the importance of protecting the public’s right to protest.
“Demonstrations are the best answer to the general public’s distrust in its representatives, and to the colossal failure of the defendant, who imposed a political lockdown on us, which won’t decrease morbidity and will ruin the country’s economy.”
The movement ended the statement by calling on the public to join protests on Sunday evening, while reminding people to follow the guidelines.


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Avichai Mandelblit