After the threats of the uprising over the weekend, restaurant owners continue to fight and refuse to close the gates • Among the restaurants that will remain open: Soso & Sans, Santa Catarina, Doc, Muna and Bar 51 • The next day, restaurateurs will come to Balfour and distribute food in protest • Today
Revolt among restaurant owners
Photo:
Gideon Markovich
After their stormy weekend and ending with a postponement of the "last minute" that allowed them to stay open over the weekend, many restaurateurs announced today (Sunday) that they refuse to accept the government order and will not close their businesses this coming Tuesday, as requested.
Among the restaurants that have announced that they will remain open - according to the terms of the "purple character" - is the "Horse & Sons" chain of chefs Omar Miller, Santa Catarina, Doc, the brothers, Malgo and Melber, Muna and Bar 51.
Demonstration of restaurateurs near Habima // Reporter: Liran Oheli, Photo: Gil Kramer
One of the pioneers of the uprising was Assaf Britt, owner of "Underground Coffee" on Lincoln Street in Tel Aviv, who wrote on his Facebook page: "In practice, we employ and are responsible for the wages of hundreds of thousands of workers in the economy - we continue. As long as arbitrary decisions are made - we continue."
Britt added: "We are law-abiding, paying taxes, serving significant service in the military, employing hundreds of thousands of people - and all of that simply are not willing to keep bending our heads. We will continue to work according to all the 'purple character' rules, we will continue to keep the distance between We will continue to take care of masks, we will continue to give you the most pleasant and safe feeling possible - but we will just continue. "
Meanwhile, dozens of restaurateurs have announced that they will go up to the Prime Minister's House in Balfour this coming Tuesday evening. They are expected to set up a kind of "restaurant" and distribute food to the needy. The announcement read: "On Tuesday at 19:30, all of us, Israel's food people - restaurateurs, cooks, waiters, shift managers, dishwashers, suppliers and service providers for the industry - and basically anyone who believes that local cuisine should exist here. We, the restaurateurs. We will come to give, to feed, because that is what we know, love and want to do, because that is what we want to continue to do, we will come and feed needy food we have cooked, with our own hands.
"And you, who go out to restaurants, who love restaurants, who sit in cafes, who hang out in bars - must go up with us to Balfour and shout with us loud and clear - this is not the last meal. Arbitrary decisions that are not based on data can ruin the lives of tens of thousands of people. act".
The group of restaurateurs also presented its demands from the government, including: transfer of compensation over months in March and April immediately, building an agreed economic plan to compensate working business owners and suppliers, taking state responsibility for the expenses involved in workers' isolation days, defining a clear work outline for Operating the restaurants in a way that will not endanger public health, all in full transparency with all business owners throughout the process.
"Restaurateurs have lost confidence in the government"
The Corona Committee convened today to discuss the new restrictions decided by the government as part of the fight against the spread of the virus in Israel. At the end of the discussions, the committee presented a series of demands to the government ahead of its crucial meeting tomorrow. Committee members are demanding that the gyms be left open, that the pools and beaches be opened on weekends, and that restaurants be opened at 35% occupancy inside, while maintaining the "purple" rules outside.
At the beginning of the meeting, MK Shasha-Bitton said that she "is not sure that the restrictions are the right solution now, the virus is expected to stay with us for a long time to come."
The Corona Commission is demanding from the government: Allow restaurants and gyms to remain open
• "Damn Friday": The stormy day that passed for the restaurant owners
• "Come on, I just need you"
During the discussion, Shai Berman, CEO of the Restaurants and Bars Association, said: “We are four months into the event. We paid a heavy economic price but met very strict guidelines - a complete closure of our businesses. The drama of the Ministry of Health is a drama that only it builds, and no one except it and the Israeli government buys it. "
Berman clarified to committee members that "the restaurateurs have completely lost faith in the decisions of the Israeli government and the Ministry of Health and from there the slope to anarchy is very slippery. We were almost there on Friday, we will be there again on Tuesday. Understand that well. I say not to threaten but because I know "That a very large public of law-abiding people who run this economy on a daily basis intend not to abide by the decisions of the Israeli government. I say this with complete confidence. You can call them anarchists and lawbreakers, but you can also deal with it."