Business Hours : Isreal

Business hours in Israel are difficult to pinpoint-generally, they’re when everyone goes home. Because of the variety of religions, different shops close on different days. Most Jewish shops and offices are closed for Shabbat from early Friday afternoon until Sunday; some stores reopen after sundown on Saturday. Typical shopping hours are Monday-Thursday 8am-lpm and 4-7pm, Friday 8am-2pm; shopping malls open continuously until 9-10pra, Muslim-owned establishments close on Fridays; Christian businesses close on Sundays. Entertainment establishments are usually open every day, with extended hours on weekends (in Israel, bars only begin to fill up around midnight.) Public transportation, including Egged bus lines, also shuts down for Shabbat throughout the country except in Haifa. Don’t expect to catch a bus after 2pm on Friday.

Businesses close down on major Jewish holidays, keeping Friday hours the day before. During Sukkol (seven days) and Pesafy (eight days), shops close entirely for die first and last days and are open until early afternoon during intermediate days. In predominantly Arab areas, some restaurants close for the entire month of Ramadan; many others close during the day. (See Festivals and Holidays.)