A prominent Israeli minister resigned on Sunday in protest over an expected government decision to impose a nationwide lockdown this week ahead of the Jewish New Year due to rising coronavirus cases. Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman, who served as health minister during the initial outbreak of the virus in Israel, criticized the anticipated lockdown measure as extreme and said it would cause undue suffering to the public. Litzman, who heads an influential ultra-Orthodox faction in the coalition government, expressed particular ire toward restrictions that will limit observant Jews from attending communal prayers at synagogues during the upcoming holidays.