Israel – Ministers OK Prison Sentence For Opening Business On Shabbas

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    Israel – Owners of businesses that are open on Saturdays without special permission could face fines and up to a year in prison, according to a controversial bill by MK Miki Zohar (Likud) approved by the Ministerial Committee by Legislation Sunday.

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    The “Weekly Day of Rest Bill” states that no business – excluding restaurants, bars and similar, public entertainment places, gas stations and pharmacies – may be open on a day of rest – Saturday for Jews, other days for other religions – unless it received specific permission from the Economy Minister. The minister may authorize businesses to open on Saturdays if it is a matter of national security, bodily or property security, the economy, or supplying services the minister determines are necessary for part or all of the public.

    In addition, businesses may not make their contracts dependent on someone working on a Saturday and cannot demand the other side pay damages for not working on Saturdays.

    If a designated inspector thinks a business violated the law, the inspector can sanction the owner for up to the amount earned on Saturday.

    Breaking the law can carry a fine of up to a year in prison or an additional fine of at least NIS 4,000 for every time the law is violated.

    The current law, passed in 1951, states that that a person cannot be employed on his or her day of rest – Saturday for Jews, Fridays for Muslims, Sundays for Christians – except for in special cases similar to the new bill, and employers may not refuse to hire someone who is unwilling to work on his or her faith’s day of rest. In addition, it says business owners should not open their businesses on the day of rest.

    The new bill will go to a preliminary vote in the Knesset on Wednesday, and will not be moved further in the legislative process until a committee of ministry directors-general reaches agreements, which is likely to moderate the proposal, due to objections from Kulanu.

    Zohar called the bill “an impressive and historic achievement for the State of Israel, which will help the public and anyone who is interested in resting and enjoying time with his family on Israel’s weekly day of rest, which is Saturday.

    The Likud MKs said he plans to speak with business owners, NGOs and anyone who thinks the bill will hurt them, so that the law will be fair to the entire public.

    MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) said that the bill is “draconian and violates the status quo, which is why the Ministerial Committee chose to shackle it with a directors-general committee on the issue.

    “The law will fulfil [Zohar’s] need in [Likud] primaries, as it was meant to, but will not enter the Israeli lawbooks,” she stated.

    In the opposition, MK Yoel Razbozov (Yesh Atid) accused the Ministerial Committee of approving the bill because, in a 61-seat coalition, they fear upsetting any one MK.

    “This is a bizarre proposal that will end, divide and destroy the State of Israel from the inside, as if we don’t have enough other divisions and crises to fight over,” Razbozov said. “This proposal can lead to a civil war in Israel. Most Israeli Jews go out on Shabbat, shop on Shabbat and use their day of rest in a way that does not harm traditional people at all.”

    According to Razbozov, the bill will harm soldiers, students and new immigrants who need to work on Saturdays to increase their income.

    “If we don’t stop this bill, Israel will become Iran,” he added.‎


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    6 Comments
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    8 years ago

    No..Israel will become the state it was meant to be..A JEWISH STATE…
    Thinking that you will lose by closing shop, only adds to the ignorance of our uneducated jewish brothers who are not aware that violating one of the TEN COMMANDMENTS only decreases their chance for economic success vs. Increasing it.
    Keeping shabbos, or at least as a whole ,perpetuating the idea of a day of rest can be the beginning of economic success…to the contrary..of all the left leaning liberal secular jews.
    Try it…u may like it!.

    lazerx
    lazerx
    8 years ago

    Although I am for a shomer shabbos state of Israel, I don’t believe a jail sentence will be actually a deterrent to chilul shabbos.

    I think a battalion of Chabadniks need to invade Tel Aviv and spread the joy of keeping shabbos for a city to ‘want’ to close their stores since forcing some one Not to work does not mean he/she is shomer shabbos.
    It only means his store is not open, but in private he may be driving or watching the boob tube instead of singing zmiros with the family.