With Passover approaching, a new survey found that 96% of Jewish Israelis say they plan on holding a Seder this year.
The poll, conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), noted that the largest portion of respondents (49%) plan to celebrate the Seder night at the home of relatives or friends. A slightly lower share will host an at-home Seder (41%), and 6% said that they will travel abroad or vacation within Israel. Only 2% of respondents said that they will not participate in the Seder at all.
After two years of partial or complete closures and limited international travel, Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport is set to see more foot traffic over Passover week than it has since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, with as many as 75,000 passengers expected to pass through its halls in just one day.
No differences at all were found between haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and secular respondents, between those of different political orientations, or based on age.
The poll also surveyed Muslims who observe Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which this year coincides with Passover.
A significant majority of both Israelis and Muslims responded that they enjoy celebrating these festivals, though the latter slightly more so: 87.5% of Jews and 95% of Muslims said that they like family holiday meals.
While extended families are set to gather for the Seder this Friday, Israel's Health Ministry has expressed concern over an increase in COVID-19 cases. To prevent this, the Health Ministry has issued a directive in several languages on precautions that people can take to ensure that they stay healthy and safe while spending time with family.
Included in the directive was the advice for those 60 and over to receive a fourth dose of the vaccine before the holiday if they have not yet done so. Beyond that, the Health Ministry advised that people perform an at-home antigen test ahead of the Seder, stressing the importance of staying home if unwell.
Shira Silkoff contributed to this report.