IKEA fined for opening stores in Israel against Health Ministry guidelines

Swedish company came under fierce criticism in the past after reopening before small businesses

i24NEWS
i24NEWS
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FILE - Israelis wait outside the IKEA branch in Netanya, after the company opened some of its branches in Israel, on April 26, 2020.
FILE - Israelis wait outside the IKEA branch in Netanya, after the company opened some of its branches in Israel, on April 26, 2020.Yossi Aloni/Flash90

Rishon LeZion municipality inspectors handed a $1500 fine to the IKEA branch in the central Israeli city after partially reopening its stores in the country -- despite not receiving the green light from the Health Ministry, Hebrew media outlets reported.

The inspectors further warned the customers at the store, stressing that their presence in the complex violates the law and they could be pressed with charges.

According to outlet Globes, Swedish furniture company IKEA told its employees to prepare for reopening today after close to three consecutive months of enforced closure due to coronavirus restrictions.

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About a month ago, the Swedish company announced that it has a legal opinion, which permits opening its branches, in line with the government’s designation of “essential” operations -- as IKEA offers food products and other goods deemed essential.

However, the Health Ministry said in a statement that it “did not grant a permission to open the store. The position of the ministry is that a furniture company, including IKEA, is not a place that chiefly sells essential products for the household,” as cited by Globes.

In April, IKEA came under a public storm after it received an approval from the Health Ministry to reopen its branches -- before small businesses were able to do the same.

Former Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov later referred to the event, branding it a “mistake.”

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