Jerusalem – Tel Aviv Suburb Votes To Operate Public Transportation On Shabbat

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    Jerusalem – A Tel Aviv suburb has approved operating public transportation on Shabbat.

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    The City Council of Ramat Gan, a municipality in central Israel, approved the measure on Tuesday by a vote of 15-6.

    In a harbinger of the religious freedom debate that will infuse the campaign for the September elections, Avigdor Liberman, head of the secular right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, applauded the decision and called on other municipalities to follow suit.

    In Israel, buses and trains in general do not run in Jewish-majority cities on Friday night and Saturday before sundown as part of the “status quo,” a doctrine that regulates the public relationship between the religious and secular positions. It was reached between the haredi Orthodox community and David Ben-Gurion before the formation of the state.

    A statement from the haredi Orthodox United Torah Judaism party called the decision “a shameful and disgraceful move” that “ignor(es) the feelings of tens of thousands of religious residents of the city.” The party, headed by Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, vowed to “act in cooperation with lawyers and jurists to prevent implementation of the decision to harm the holy Shabbat and the status quo.”

    According to the legislation, the city-sponsored transportation will include two routes that run to the beach and other recreation areas. The routes will avoid areas that would upset the Sabbath-observant community.

    Some private bus lines run through certain Israeli cities to allow non-Orthodox Jews to get to the beach and other places of entertainment.


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    4 years ago

    I think it is very important to note that the date they have chosen to start this horrific service is next Shabbos, 17th of Tammuz!

    PaulinSaudi
    PaulinSaudi
    4 years ago

    None of my business.

    misslydia128
    misslydia128
    4 years ago

    If the haredim want to be respected and not drafted into the army, they will need to show some respect for the seculars who just want to lead their lives as they wish.

    4 years ago

    “The Jewish State”. If only they wouldnt call themselves what the arent. They never were and neve will be. A despicable State.
    Chilul Shabos is the core of a Jew. What a shande!

    4 years ago

    “Holier than thou frummies”. Well I agree its a free nation but if you declare to the world that you’re the representative of the Jewish people, which is a farce, then you adhere to the Torah. U cant have the cake and eat it. Being Jewish is adhering to Yidishkeit or call yourself the “Republic of China or whatever”.
    Being a supposedly Jewish State requires the core principles of Judaism and that is observing Shabbat.
    Let the secular and for that matter the pride people have fun but woe who sins in the holy land. You get charged way more. But they dont believe in G d anyway.
    The worst State of the UNJewish. How utterly sad!

    Zvi8875
    Zvi8875
    4 years ago

    רחמנא לצלן
    THROUGHPUT OUR HISTORY, WE RECOGNISED THAT MORE THAN OUR KEEPING SHABBOS, SHABBOS KEEPS US!
    I needed to scream out loud that we need to increase our Shabbos observance. We need to not desecrate the Holiness that shields and protects us from the evils of this world ; the beauty of the day that preserves and gives us meaningful lives; and separates our way of life from the craziness of the pleasure seekers who create false justifications and gods in order to live .
    Hashem gave to us the gift of Shabbos. PLEASE DON’T SPIT ON IT!