Photo Credit: Flash 90
Ben Gurion International Airport

Beginning Sunday, Ben Gurion International Airport will reopen its doors, at least to Israelis entering and leaving the country.

Citizens will no longer require special permission from an Exemptions Committee to cross through the border and come home.

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Those who return will be able to spend their quarantine period at home instead of a government-run hotel (yes, the 10 to 14-day quarantine will still be mandatory). An electronic bracelet and other technological means will be used to ensure that people comply with the mandate. For those who cannot or prefer not to quarantine at home, hotels still remain an option.

Up to 3,000 incoming Israelis per day will be allowed to enter. According to the decision of the Coronavirus Cabinet, which met Tuesday, those who are not citizens must still apply to the Exemptions Committee for special permission to enter the country at the present time.

According to the Health Ministry, those who return will still need to pass two coronavirus tests – one before boarding the flight, and another upon arrival. This includes travelers who are fully vaccinated, and/or those who have had the coronavirus and have recovered from the virus.

A traveler leaving the country who is fully vaccinated or who has recovered from the coronavirus will be able to leave the country within the above protocols. But those who are not vaccinated or who have had only one of the two required injections will still need to apply for permission from the Exemptions Committee to leave.

The number and destinations of the flights allowed to operate from Ben Gurion International Airport have not yet been determined; that decision will be made by the Transportation Ministry together in cooperation with the Health Ministry.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.