Israel Military Seals Off West Bank for Purim Holiday, Weekend
Purim Boy Image by Getty
JERUSALEM — Israel has closed off the West Bank to prevent attacks over the Purim holiday.
The closure went into effect on Wednesday morning and will remain in place until Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced.
Purim takes place this year on Wednesday night and Thursday throughout Israel; Jerusalem and Tiberias in Israel’s north will observe Purim on Thursday night and Friday.
Palestinians will be prevented from exiting and entering the West Bank during this time, except in the event of humanitarian and medical and other exceptional cases, approved by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, part of the Defense Ministry.
The West Bank is often closed off for Jewish holidays, but has not been closed for Purim in several years.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
