Israel’s Muslims begin Ramadan under tight coronavirus constraints

Muslim communities, enjoined by Israel’s health authorities and their leaders, start the month-long Ramadan festival on Friday within their “nuclear families.”  The imams have closed the mosques to public worship, including Al Aqsa on Temple Mt. Lockdown is imposed in the Arab sector from sundown to sunup to prevent the traditional gettogethers for the evening iftar meal after the day’s fast.  Israel has transferred an emergency aid package of NIS 55 million (roughly $15.6 million) to 73 Arab local authorities to sustain over a million Arab citizens during the month of Ramadan.