Haredi pressure stops train works
Ultra-Orthodox politicians meet with prime minister, and planned Shabbat work is cancelled; earlier in day, the Haredi factions announce bill to prohibit local authorities from permitting Shabbat desecration.
A meeting of ministers with ultra-Orthodox faction leaders on Thursday resulted in the cancellation of infrastructure work planned for Israel Railways in the South this Shabbat.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Haim Katz and heads of the ultra-Orthodox parties—Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri of Shas and United Torah Judaism's Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman and Finance Committee Chairman Rabbi Moshe Gafni—were all present in the meeting. They announced that the parties would act to "prevent the recent expansion of Shabbat desecration in the field of transportation and work on Shabbat."
A statement from Shas following the meeting stated that the ultra-Orthodox politicians insisted on the works' cessation in the meeting. The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs said that every Thursday, the professional bodies concerned would discuss the relevant issues and examine every application for a work permit to prevent non-essential work.
The ultra-Orthodox factions established a team of four Knesset members to monitor these activities: United Torah Judaism's Uri Maklev and Yisrael Eichler and Shas' Yoav Ben-Tzur and Michael Malchieli.
Shas and United Torah Judaism leaders announced earlier Thursday that they intend to promote a bill that would prohibit local authorities from permitting desecration of Shabbat in their jurisdictions in response to the High Court of Justice ruling that opened businesses in Tel Aviv on the day of rest.
In recent months, the ultra-Orthodox parties have urged the attorney general to ask the court to reconsider the petition, but they claim that he is "dragging his feet" and forcing them to advance a bill that bypasses the High Court.
The two factions announced in a joint statement that the proposal, which has been on the Knesset's table since 2014, binds the coalition because it is intended to preserve the status quo that was customary in High Court rulings on the issue.
