Israeli government extends ban that limits public protests

Israeli government has extended an emergency provision that bars public garings, including widespre protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for an ditional week.

Government ministers approved measure until Oct. 13 by a telephone vote, Prime Minister's Office said in a statement late Wednesday.

Israel imposed a nationwide lockdown ahe of Jewish High Holidays last month to rein in country's surging coronavirus outbreak. Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passed a law last week allowing government to declare a special week-long state of emergency to limit participation in assemblies because of pandemic. government n declared state of emergency, limiting all public garings to within a kilometer (0.6 miles) of a person's home.

Netanyahu has said restrictions are driven by safety concerns as country battles a runaway pandemic, but critics and protesters accuse him of tightening lockdown to muzzle ir movement and expression of dissent.

Thousands of Israelis have participated in weekly demonstrations outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem for months this summer, calling on longtime prime minister to resign while on trial for corruption.

Since restriction was approved last month, tens of thousands of Israelis have std protests on street corners and public squares near ir homes against government’s perceived mishandling of coronavirus crisis and its ecomic fallout.

On Thursday, an Israeli protester painted Hebrew word “Go” — an increasingly popular slogan among anti-Netanyahu protesters — in large letters across Tel Aviv's Rabin Square.

Israel was initially praised for its swift imposition of restrictions in February to curb spre of coronavirus. But after reopening ecomy and schools in May, new cases increased quickly. It imposed a second lockdown on Sept. 18 as infection rate skyrocketed to one of highest per capita in world.

Health Ministry has recorded over 282,000 confirmed cases of disease and over 1,800 deaths in country of around 9 million people.

After nearly three weeks of lockdown, number of new cases is grually decreasing, but infections are still spreing, particularly among country's hard-hit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, which makes up around 10% of country’s population, accounts for more than a third of Israel’s virus cases. Some members of community have flouted rules and held prayers in enclosed s, large festive garings and clashed with police over ir enforcement of regulations.

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