Closure or not?

Cafes still open, but no one around

The PM has decided to close all non-essential businesses for 5 weeks. That means cafes, bars, restaurants, gyms .... but not everyone is sure where it actually ends? For sure pharmacies and supermarkets will remain open. Lots of unanswered queries ... and people are asking all types of questions as to what is open and what is not. I won't worry too much ... Israel is resilient and the people know how to survive.

Petfood stock up

I was worried that if the petshop is closed for 5 weeks, the Buddy and JJ will have no food. So I walked the 1km to the New City to buy a couple of packets. And all along the road ... restaurants and cafes and shops were opened. Not all ... some were closed ... but more than 60% remained open. Which got me thinking ... who will enforce the closure? No one seems to care. At the petshop I asked the owner if he'll close and he said pet food is essential stuff so he won't close ... until enforcers tell him to. Fair enough. At the Post Office there was a very very long line of people trying to get in. Probably to withdraw money. When I got to the petshop ... there was a huge amount of dog and cat food with attached bills lined up from the entrance to the back. Everyone was worried their pets would have no food. So I wasn't the only one.

News just in ... the Al Aqsa mosque will be closed indefinitely but the compound outside will be opened for prayers. Meantime the Western Wall though opened for prayer, has been identified by the Chief Rabbi as a likely danger spot and dissuaded jews from gathering there to pray. Other leading rabbis have dispensed liturgical rulings so jews can pray at home. Yet hundreds of tourists continue to gather in our churches ...