Bat Mitzvah has over 1,000 guests, flouting Health Ministry regulations

The bat mitzvah, held in the Shfela foothills on Thursday night, was the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and included many Israeli celebrities who took to the stage.

Event hall, illustrative (photo credit: PXHERE)
Event hall, illustrative
(photo credit: PXHERE)
As police all across Israel take to the streets checking clubs, bars, restaurants and event halls to make sure patrons are adhering to Health Ministry regulations – and handing out fines to those who are not following the new rules – a bat mitzvah celebration held over the weekend attracted over 1,000 guests, many not wearing masks or following the social distancing guidelines, N12 reported.
The bat mitzvah, held in the Shfela foothills on Thursday night, was for the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and included many Israeli celebrities who took to the stage including Eyal Golan, Moshe Peretz and Lior Narkis.
During the performances, hundreds of people gathered around the singers without masks and without following social distancing guidelines, the N12 report stated. One hall employee told N12 that the seating plan for the event was arranged according to a capsule system, stating, "Some are sitting at reception, some in the courtroom, and some in the other hall."
N12 reporters also came across police investigating the hall who said that the function was under investigation and stated, "We always check in to see if [the hall] is split up. We are in contact with the hall owner and the event host. We are trying as much as possible to be dynamic and flexible."
"We pass through and are handing out masks. We are trying not to enforce [guidelines] or ruin the event," N12 quoted the police saying.
Police administered more than 3,079 fines for people not wearing masks over Shabbat and gave out several fines for businesses and restaurants operating against Health Ministry regulations.