The Association of Owners of Halls and Event Venues in Israel sent an appeal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Israel Katz, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu requesting to put a stop to 'pirate' events that have been taking place amid the coronavirus restrictions on gatherings, according to a press release from the group on Sunday. 'We call on the Israeli government to urgently build an outline according to which the public will be allowed to enter event halls and gardens [with business licenses] at 35% occupancy according to the business license,' the association said. The Association noted that the rise of 'pirate' social events came with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which shuttered many venues in Israel, and has prompted individuals to arrange parties and weddings without supervision and not in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines. 'The Health Minister, together with the other government bodies leading the struggle, are contributing with their own hands to the outbreak of the plague. They rushed to close the ballrooms first, and what is actually happening is much worse - private events are taking place that are a coronavirus incubator,' said Noam Levy, chairman of the Association of Owners of Halls and Event Venues. 'Events are held with dozens of people in pirated places without any supervision. In licensed halls, on the other hand, we know how to work under [Health Ministry] supervision and according to the guidelines of the Ministry without endangering human life,' Levy added. The Association also made mention of the illegality of these 'pirate' events outside the coronavirus restrictions, which can lead to money laundering and additional harms to the Israeli economy due to the growth of a new black market.
