Israel to Close Holy Sites to Visitors Ahead of High Holidays Due to Budget Freeze

The Israeli Ministry of Religious Services announced on Tuesday that all holy sites across the country will be closed to visitors at the end of August, about ten days before Rosh Hashanah. This period typically sees heavy crowds at prayer sites for Selichot prayers and preparations for the High Holidays. The ministry's CEO, Yehuda Avidan, informed Israel Dar'i, deputy director of the National Authority for Holy Sites Development, that a recent budget freeze is preventing funding for the authority's ongoing operations.

Last week, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction halting budget transfers approved by the Finance Committee, including funds allocated for religious needs and ultra-Orthodox educational networks. Justice Alex Stein cited procedural flaws in the Finance Committee's meeting as the reason for the freeze. The injunction affects a budget that included 33 million shekels for managing popular prayer sites such as Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's tomb, and the tombs of Samuel the Prophet and King David in Jerusalem.

Avidan warned that unless a solution is found by the end of August, the National Authority's activities and the operation of these holy sites will cease immediately at the start of September. The Supreme Court plans to hear the petition in a three-judge panel soon. This closure comes at a sensitive time when thousands of worshippers usually gather for religious observances ahead of the Jewish High Holidays.