Israel – McDonalds in Israel will have to find replacements for 800 youths who have worked at the fast food chain on Shabbat in the past, beginning this Saturday, as Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor begins to enforce a law that ensures young people do not work on the Jewish sabbath.
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The fast food chain doesn’t see why it should be forced to find new workers, all of whom will have to be non-Jewish.
The teenagers want to work on Saturday, a local McDonalds Israel manager told Globes. Employees in Israel earn 150% of their normal hourly wages on Saturday.
“The law, which will come into effect this Saturday, will come into effect even though we’ve been fighting it for 17 years,” McDonalds Israel said in a statement. “We intend to petition the High Court of Justice to change the law. This is religious coercion which should vanish from the world.”
most likely it will be skited down by the hight courts
I’m impressed. But it’s puzzling at the same time, being that these young people are apparently not interested in keeping Shabbos and this move will hardly motivate them to do so. A better solution is to close shop on Shabbos, or at least to take the next step and be mekarev these youth and offer them a chance at becoming shomer Shabbos.
Why is it illegal for teens to work on shabbos? Is it ok if your 22 years old but not if your 18 yeard?? The government should not be legislating halacha. No one should work on shabbos kodesh but thats a personal decision in a democratic society and the government should not be telling private employers and individuals what to do.
I am curious, what would the Satmar Rebbe have said to this? What does Satmar say now? I have a feeling that they are as impressed as they were with Meir Kahane. Yet they couldn’t say anything bad about him.
Is this establishment certified kosher? If so, how can it be supervised on Shabbos?
To #7 : First of all the law governing shmiras shabbos has been around since the inception of the State of Israel but it is apparently necessary for a formal ban since you now have goyishe establishments in Israel. Second, if you read correctly I did not allude to The Satmar Rebbe’s opinion of Kahane – only the Satmars themselves (unless you are prepared to say that the Rebbe thinks for all) Third, it is obvious where your sentiments lie when you give such kavod to “our own government” branding Kahane a terrorist. Most Jews “own government” is the medinah that Satmar hates so much. Kahane was called a “racist” by them which though a severe slander is much better than being called a terrorist. And fifth, if Kahane who knew “kol hatorah kulo” and was one of the greatest minds of our generation was a terrorist, perhaps we should all aspire to be one.
Standing on your toes to enforce a shabbas regimen might work, but in reality though these kids are really ridiculous for working in a mcdonalds on shabbas, the mcdonalds needs to be a little more lawful in Israel and not even open.
the Israeli government should stop every car that is driving on shabbos and verify they are not jewish
In all other countries, McD’s conforms to local taste and customs. Only in Israel they refuse to do so. That is actually not a bad thing because their “food” is toxic crap.