One proposal under discussion was the possibility of a night-time closure for red cities, towns, and local authorities that would be in effect from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. School would not take place in these communities.

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Ministers have been asked to approve the alternate framework after Netanyahu worked it out with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Haredi ministers Aryeh Deri and Yakov Litzman.

The letter to Netanyahu stated: "We have all faced difficult battles, at home and outside, to take various steps to remove [COVID] carriers from our cities, carry out as many tests as possible, maintain social distancing, and locate and shut down places with potential to cause outbreaks. We have changed the equation by significant percentages, through personal initiative and by rebuilding trust that has been eroded at the national level," the Haredi leaders wrote.

"As the person in charge of this crisis, you have never bothered to listen to us, to understand our distress or try to promote real initiatives to flatten the curve. You never gave us your ear or bothered to ask, understand, or study what characterizes a sizeable portion of the population in Israel," the leaders wrote.

"Time after time, you instated closure after closure on Haredi cities. They never bore fruit, otherwise, we would all support them and do everything in our power to implement them. Every such closure led to a breakdown of trust and a move backward in terms of [people's] willingness to contract the virus or uphold public health regulations. When the barricades came down, we found ourselves back at the starting point," they said.

"We inform you that the Haredi public will not forget the wrong done to us. We will not forget who signed off, time after time, labeling us as 'spreaders of disease' and enemies of the people, on selective punishment for so many families in the Haredi sector.

"The decisions you made were without reason or public health benefit and were aimed directed at the Haredi public. We see you as the only person responsible for these punitive steps, for the disrespect to tradition and our hone as legitimate citizens of this country. We cannot remain silent any longer," the letter stated.

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Prior to the government decision to revisit the planned lockdown, the Israel Police said it was preparing to handle "any scenario" once 30 cities, towns, and local authorities, as well as individual neighborhoods.

"The police is preparing for clashes in the Haredi sector, given the concern that large areas of the cities and towns to be shut down will not cooperate," police officials said Sunday.

"Ultimately, this is a decision made by the government. Citizens and local leaders are supposed to cooperate in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In cases of resistance, we will address every case individually. The commanders in the field have been instructed to hand any case of resistance off to the upper ranks, so they can be handled responsibly," the police said.

The Israel Police also noted that all of the police force's sub-districts had plans to enforce a full lockdown ready, and said that police were prepared to go into communities and patrol to ensure that there were no illegal gatherings or business activity in violation of regulations, and that residents were wearing masks and observing restrictions.

Members of the Transportation Police have been charged with enforcing restrictions on public transportation.

Starting Monday, the 3,000 police assigned to enforce coronavirus regulations will be backed up by 500 soldiers.

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"I spent a semester at Brandeis University two decades ago during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur … and I understand how important this time is for your congregation," Adams said at the start of his remarks.

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He told those on the call that "you all are on the front lines" and that "people will heed your advice in ways they won't mine as surgeon general."

Then, Adams began to outline the best ways that rabbinic leaders can ensure their congregants are safe and healthy during High Holiday services amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Adams said that unlike other viruses, including the common cold, people could have COVID-19 and not know it.

"It's important that your congregation understand that it's not just about how you feel and how someone looks, but assuming everyone has the virus, and putting barriers and limiting high-risk activities," he said.

In the context of holiday prayer, such high-risk activities include singing and reciting prayers aloud.

Emphasizing that the safest option for congregations is to be online for the holidays – "I understand the virtual option isn't something you look to do," Adams said, noting as a doctor he needed to say it – the surgeon general said that best option would be told hold outdoor services if possible.

If individuals must be indoors, he said, they need to wear masks at all times, remain at least six feet apart from one another, and separate times between the services to allow a room to air out and for proper cleaning to take place. He also suggested that congregations direct foot traffic with arrows or dots on the floor showing people which way to walk, and where to stand and sit.

Acknowledging that the emotional impact of remaining at home is also a vital concern, particularly for those who are accustomed to being in synagogue on the holiest days of the Jewish year, Adams said that it was important for each religious leader to evaluate things individually.

"There's not a one-size-fits-all" solution, he said. "One congregation may have mostly older congregants or be in a location with only 1% positivity for the virus and another congregation with 10% positivity."

Adams said his family has been worshipping online since the pandemic began, and that they look forward to "the day we can once again attend in person."

"We just have to get through this with minimal harm" to our congregations and communities, he said. "This is not forever."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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"We are seeing something very clear and very worrying in the Arab sector, and it is pervasive – Tira, Umm al-Faham, Kafr Qasim, Sakhnin, and Nazareth," Gamzu said, citing Arab communities recently added to the list of "red" cities, under the government's new "traffic light" system.

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"These communities are seeking a significant number of new cases weekly. In the Arab sector, weddings and parties are still taking place. The heads of local authorities see that and feel uncomfortable. This creates infection," Gamzu said.

The response from Arab leaders was mixed. MK Ahmad Tibi said, "There has indeed been an outbreak in recent weeks because of weddings, and a refusal to follow instructions."

According to Tibi, Arab leaders "publicly talk about following directives. Unfortunately, many Jews and Arabs who hold weddings, and without masks, serve as a hotbed for the virus to spread."

However, Gamzu also addressed the issue of the virus in the Haredi sector. "I've seen a rise [in cases] in the past few days, adding that any decisions made regarding that population were "very complicated."

Gamzu said that he expected that some of the worst-hit cities and towns in Israel would not start the school year on Sept. 1.

"We want to start the school year safely," he said.

Gamzu warned that he would quit if he wasn't given the "tools" with which to do his job. "No one can work like this," he said.

The Corona cabinet is scheduled to meet on Sunday afternoon to discuss new public health measures.

Meanwhile, between midnight Monday and midnight Tuesday, 1,943 new cases were confirmed by 33,272 tests. The number of confirmed cases since the start of the epidemic in Israel stood at 107,341 as of Wednesday morning.

A total of 855 patients were hospitalized, 430 of whom were listed in serious condition, including 118 on ventilators. Another 161 were listed in moderate condition. The death toll from coronavirus stood at 867 as of Wednesday, after two more people succumbed to the virus after midnight Tuesday.

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In a related development, there is concern that a serological survey conducted by the Health Ministry in conjunction with Israel's health care providers does not accurately represent the country's population.

A report by the Corona National Knowledge and Information Center examined the methodology of the serological testing conducted on Israelis to identify COVID antibodies (signifying exposure to the virus, rather than a test for the presence of the virus itself) and found that it under-represents Israel's young population, the north of the country, and the Arab sector.

The serological survey was conducted in 191 communities, 13 of which were dealing with an outbreak at the time.  It was originally supposed to have launched in early June, but in effect only started on June 29. By Aug. 9, 48,644 Israelis had participated, only two-thirds of the target 75,000.

Knesset researchers were unable to receive answers from the Health Ministry about whether or not it had rectified the under-representation.

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