<p>An Israeli cabinet minister tendered his resignation on Sunday in protest at a looming coronavirus lockdown that he argued would unfairly impede religious celebrations of Jewish holidays.</p>.<p>The restrictions - the most extensive Israel will have imposed since a lockdown that ran from late March to early May - are expected to go into effect on Friday, the Jewish new year Rosh Hashana, and span into the Yom Kippur fast day on Sept 27.</p>.<p>"This wrongs and scorns hundreds of thousands of citizens," Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman, who heads an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition, said in his resignation letter.</p>.<p>"Where were you until now? Why have the Jewish holidays become a convenient address for tackling the coronavirus...?"</p>.<p>Under law, Litzman's resignation takes effect in 48 hours. Although a sign of strained relations between Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox political partners, Litzman's move was unlikely to have any immediate effect on the stability of the veteran leader's governing coalition.</p>.<p>In remarks to the cabinet as it convened to vote on the lockdown, Netanyahu voiced regret at Litzman's move but added: "We have to move on, to make the decisions necessary for Israel in the coronavirus era, and that is what we will do in this session".</p>.<p>Israel, which has a population of 9 million, has reported 153,217 coronavirus cases and 1,103 deaths. With new cases topping 3,000 daily in recent weeks, authorities worry that the health system could be overwhelmed.</p>.<p>Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who heads another ultra-Orthodox Jewish party, came out in favour of the restrictions, saying in a video posted on Twitter that not abiding by them over the upcoming holidays would be tantamount to murder. (Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Frances Kerry)</p>
<p>An Israeli cabinet minister tendered his resignation on Sunday in protest at a looming coronavirus lockdown that he argued would unfairly impede religious celebrations of Jewish holidays.</p>.<p>The restrictions - the most extensive Israel will have imposed since a lockdown that ran from late March to early May - are expected to go into effect on Friday, the Jewish new year Rosh Hashana, and span into the Yom Kippur fast day on Sept 27.</p>.<p>"This wrongs and scorns hundreds of thousands of citizens," Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman, who heads an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative coalition, said in his resignation letter.</p>.<p>"Where were you until now? Why have the Jewish holidays become a convenient address for tackling the coronavirus...?"</p>.<p>Under law, Litzman's resignation takes effect in 48 hours. Although a sign of strained relations between Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox political partners, Litzman's move was unlikely to have any immediate effect on the stability of the veteran leader's governing coalition.</p>.<p>In remarks to the cabinet as it convened to vote on the lockdown, Netanyahu voiced regret at Litzman's move but added: "We have to move on, to make the decisions necessary for Israel in the coronavirus era, and that is what we will do in this session".</p>.<p>Israel, which has a population of 9 million, has reported 153,217 coronavirus cases and 1,103 deaths. With new cases topping 3,000 daily in recent weeks, authorities worry that the health system could be overwhelmed.</p>.<p>Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who heads another ultra-Orthodox Jewish party, came out in favour of the restrictions, saying in a video posted on Twitter that not abiding by them over the upcoming holidays would be tantamount to murder. (Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Frances Kerry)</p>