Israel's largest airport, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, has been largely cordoned off since midnight. International passenger air traffic is expected to be suspended until the end of January 2021. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government justifies the move by stating that they want to "prevent the introduction of coronavirus mutations".

Freight flights are not covered by the ban. These should continue to be possible without restriction. As few exceptions as possible should be made in the passenger area. Netanyahu said they wanted to "hermetically seal" Ben Gurion Airport. Flights that are operated within Israel are not covered by the ban. Eilat Ramon Airport is also still open, but there are currently no international flights there anyway.

The Government of Israel believes that around 40 percent of new infections came from abroad. With the de facto closure of the largest airport in the country, they want to seal themselves off for some time. Meanwhile, Israel is the state that has already carried out the most Covid-19 vaccinations in percentage terms. For almost a year now, people who do not have citizenship of Israel have only been able to enter with a special permit. Strict quarantine regulations apply to Israelis.