Fearing further lockdown, business owners went to the Knesset on Monday and demanded that lawmakers cancel the fines imposed against them for violating pandemic restrictions.
A nationwide lockdown destroyed many businesses last year before Israel’s vaccine rollout allowed most activities to resume, but the spread of the highly contagious delta variant has raised fears of new restrictions.
Business owners’ representatives said they could not afford the former fines, especially facing the prospect of a new lockdown that could further damage business.
“We’re speaking for a whole bunch of business people who are saying they can’t possibly pay the fine,” restaurateur Hila Formosa Rafael told the Ynet news site, set to discuss the fine by the Knesset’s economics committee. was called.
Blue and White MP Michael Bitten called an urgent meeting of the committee “because he thinks it’s terrible to demand that businessmen, who ‘save us,’ pay these irrational fines,” said Lily Benn, head of a group. Shalom said representation of restaurant owners.
The group argued that the authorities had revoked fines issued to protesters and people violating restrictions for religious reasons, but had not withdrawn penalties against business owners for minor violations, such as giving short distances to customers. Instead of allowing takeout orders to be taken.
Ben-Shalom, owner of Layla restaurant in Tel Aviv, said business owners have been fined an average of NIS 5,000-25,000 ($1,550-$7,760) on average.
She said it was not realistic for restaurants to check every patron’s green passes, which indicate they have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. He said stipends for the unemployed created a labor shortage, making it even more difficult for workers to enforce virus rules.
The group said that, during previous lockdowns, rules were often moved without their knowledge, without clear explanation, or changed at the last minute, making compliance difficult.
The business owners told lawmakers directly during the Knesset hearing that they could not afford the fines, and complained that the police had been disrespectful to them when enforcing the rules.
The committee opted to quash the double fines issued for some violations and to spread out the payments, but not to quash the remaining penalties.
Bitton recommended that officials begin issuing warnings, convert some of the previous penalties into warnings, and add more “informed enforcement” of sanctions.
Despite months of near-normalcy, Israel’s economy is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic’s first year. unemployment is still high, even though the government has ended most pandemic aid measures, and Pay is still balanced As workers return to the labor force.
Health officials and lawmakers have meanwhile issued stern warnings, arguments and guidance as the delta variant causes an increase in infections.
On Monday, health ministry director general Nachman Aish said his office was concerned about the rising rate of infection and would weigh expansion restrictions, including limiting businesses, in the coming days. government this week reimposed quarantine restrictions On passengers returning from the list of destinations.
Senior ministers are considering implementing an emergency plan to relieve the health system and prevent a fourth national lockdown, Sunday Channel 12 reported.
