Jerusalem – Ultra-Orthodox Make A Tactical Retreat On Jerusalem Shabbat War Front

Jerusalem – Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) party leaders have met with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Director-General of the Municipality Amnon Merhav and members of the Status Quo Committee. The conclusion of the meeting was that despite saber rattling by Haredi politicians and functionaries, there have not been any major violations of the status quo regarding Shabbat transgressions in Jerusalem.

The meeting was called by the Haredim to prevent an escalation of the “Shabbat Wars” that could spiral out of control. Over the past few months Haredi city council members and politicians have been beating the war drums. Recently Health Minister Litzman, the most senior Haredi politician threatened to conduct aggressive health inspections against pubs, coffee shops and other businesses in the Makhane Yehuda market that operate on Shabbat, accusing them of turning it into ‘den of debauchery’.

In the same light, ultra-orthodox factions in the municipality threatening Barkat to vote against the budget meeting for city hall if the mayor fails to pass a resolution that would ban support or funding for institutes open on Shabbat such as the Israel Museum or Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.

On Tuesday, Barkat also called for the Jerusalem court to advance the debates on the cases of supermarkets opening illegally on Shabbat in order to expedite their judicial decision and implement the enforcement policy of the municipality’s legal adviser.

The decision of the mayor to close down supermarkets operating on Shabbat led to activities stopping in those markets and enforcement procedures against the rest of the supermarkets currently in legal proceedings.

Attorney Yossi Havilio, the municipality’s former legal adviser, today represents the businesses fighting Barkat. Interestingly, he argues that city hall is the one blatantly violating the status-quo. He also presented statute of limitations claims in light of evidence that some of the supermarkets were already open on Shabbat during previous municipality incumbents.

The “status quo” state of affairs was created as early as 1947 by the ‘status quo letter’ between Prime Minister Ben-Gurion and the ultra-orthodox Agudat Yisrael party in order to prevent the latter’s opposition to the establishment of the state of Israel.

Israel Democracy Institute expert, Dr. Shuki Friedman, explains in a report entitled The Shabbat Wars that the main sources for arrangements regarding the opening or closing of businesses on Shabbat are municipal bylaws. In some municipalities, the bylaws permit cultural and leisure activities, while forbidding commerce, as is the case for Jerusalem. Importantly, a change in the bylaws necessitates the ratification of the Minister of Interior, today, ultra-orthodox Shas member Aryeh Deri.

Notably, ultra-orthodox municipal factions usually move to increase support from their constituencies in order to cement their political power. They do so when they feel the government to be unstable. This meeting preceding by one day the decision of Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett to advance the primaries of his own party elections while other parties attempt to get their houses in order.

The Rabbis for Shabbat Committee have argued on Wednesday morning that the ultra-orthodox politicians purposely evaded to truly look at the evidence in order to “purify” Barkat and preserve the political status-quo currently at play. Supporters of the supermarkets in present legal proceedings also accused the Jerusalem Mayor of giving into political considerations.