Tel Aviv – Supermarkets In Tel Aviv Receive Warning Municipal Notices Against Opening On Shabbat

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    File: An ultra-orthodox man blowing the shofar to announce the approaching Sabbath. Photo Credit: Hilla Gutrayman Flash 90Tel Aviv – The Tel Aviv municipality began handing out warning notices to supermarkets, grocery stores, and snack shops instructing them against opening on Shabbat, three days after Interior Minister Gidon Sa’ar refused to authorize a municipal bylaw that would have allowed hundreds of businesses to open.

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    Until now, the Tel Aviv municipality had issued small fines for businesses open on Shabbat, allowing those who could afford such fines to remain open in contravention of the city’s by-laws.

    The issue was brought to the Supreme Court in 2013 which instructed the municipality to enforce its own by-laws, but also suggested that Tel Aviv city hall change the ordinance.

    The municipality voted to change the by-law earlier this year but Sa’ar, who as interior minister has the ultimate authority over municipal authorities, refused to approve the amendment this Sunday.

    The Tel Aviv municipality explained on Wednesday the reason behind the warning notices it has issued, saying that it was a legal result of Sa’ar’s decision.

    “Due to legal preceding taken against the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa Municipality’s enforcement policies in regard to the prohibition of opening businesses on Shabbat, the municipality was required by the High Court of Justice to enact additional enforcement measures in issuing fines, including presenting requests to the [regional] court for issuing opening-ban orders against businesses that open on Shabbat and Jewish holidays,” the Tel-Aviv municipality said in a statement to the press on Wednesday.

    “In light of this, the municipality was forced to take immediate enforcement measures and therefore issued requests for opening bans for Shabbat and Jewish holidays against businesses which continue to operate in contravention of the by-law.”

    Sa’ar’s decision earlier this week evinced consternation from secularist groups who accused the minister of harming the character of the city.

    The issue was brought up for discussion in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday, with strong words exchanged by MKs on opposing sides of the debate.

    “Shabbat is not a holy day for me it is a day of freedom,” said Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz. I don’t force anyone to do anything agains their beliefs but I oppose those who force me to do things against my lifestyle.”

    The MK said he was “in favor of Shabbat being a day of rest, but there are things which secular people do on Shabbat… you think that being secular is just shopping and nothingness, but being free is a value.”

    United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni defended Sa’ar’s position and said that allowing businesses to open on Shabbat would be detrimental to small-grocery store owners as they are unable to employ staff on Saturday’s due to the cost, unlike large supermarket and grocery chains.

    Gafni said that if businesses were allowed to open on Shabbat it would therefore harm middle class grocery store owners, and took a swipe at Yesh Atid and its chairman Finance Minister Yair Lapid for opposing Sa’ar’s decision in light of its oft-stated policy of defending the middle class.

    Taking to the podium Sa’ar said the issue had significant societal significance and would reflect whether or not the different sectors of society wish to preserve a common denominator with each other.

    “In the name of the values of freedom and tolerance in which we believe, we are likely to get to a slippery slope in which we destroy the weekly day of rest,” Sa’ar said.

    “The day of rest is an idea which the Jewish people gave to the whole world,” he continued and said that there would be workers who would be forced to work instead of spending time with their families on Shabbat if businesses were allowed to open.

    “Is the heritage of the Jewish people to occupy a greater market share? If the determining factor [of such issues] is the desire to make money and consumerism, which I can understand, where will the limit be? It will not stop here.”

    Mickey Gitzin, a member of the Tel-Aviv municipal council for Meretz and the director of the Be Free Israel secularist movement, said the municipal authority would not allow the issue to rest and that it was “opposed to a situation in which Tel Aviv is shut down on Shabbat.”

    Gitzin said the municipality was weighing several options, including a possible appeal to the High Court of Justice.

    Earlier in the week, Yesh Atid MK and Orthodox rabbi Dov Lipman said that although he observed Shabbat he was against imposing restrictions on largely secular communities.

    “I believe that a day of rest is important for everyone, especially in modern times when no one has a free moment,” said Lipman.

    “Having said that, I am in favor of free choice and am against religious coercion. If in a specific area, like in neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, there is an overwhelming secular majority, the city council which represents the local residents chooses to have supermarkets open in a limited fashion, I don’t think it is proper for the Interior Minister to intervene,” he continued, saying that religious coercion distances people from Judaism.

    Content provided as courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    7 Comments
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    9 years ago

    They should stop trying to legislate morality and observance for Tel Aviv and other cities in EY. Maybe, for Yerushalyim but nowhere else.

    StevenWright
    Member
    StevenWright
    9 years ago

    “Shabbat is not a holy day for me it is a day of freedom,” said Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz. I don’t force anyone to do anything agains their beliefs but I oppose those who force me to do things against my lifestyle.”

    Isn’t serving in the army against some people’s beliefs?
    Hypocrite.

    9 years ago

    As long as they chill with the rocks

    Jewish_1st
    Jewish_1st
    9 years ago

    what about the places of entertainment that should be the top of the list
    some bleeding heart judge might say people will go hungry if they close the supermarkets, grocery stores, and snack shops

    ChachoMoe
    ChachoMoe
    9 years ago

    “Earlier in the week, Yesh Atid MK and Orthodox rabbi Dov Lipman said that although he observed Shabbat he was against imposing restrictions on largely secular communities”

    How fortunate for us to hear the great Daas Torah of Mr Lipman. We are so lucky you moved to Israel, imagine what Israel would have lost if you stayed behind in the US.