Lapid promises to void Supermarket Law in Ashdod protest
In 2nd consecutive anti-religious coercion protest in Ashdod, Yesh Atid Chairman Lapid vows to cancel Supermarket Law; protest attended by 2,500 locals, residents of other cities united in demanding 'Haredi MKs take hands off Ashdod'; 'Struggle not merely about Shabbat commerce,' resident says, 'but about democracy.'
Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid attended a protest in Ashdod Saturday in support of residents' struggle against ramped up enforcement of business closures on Shabbat. Mirroring last week's turnout, some 2,500 residents arrived at city hall to protest what they called preferential treatment for the city's Haredi population.
"We're here because the deplorable Supermarket Law has to go," Lapid told protesters. "And if we win the next elections, we'll cancel it because Haredi coercion cannot prevail. They set the tone for Israel's majority.
"We don't need Shabbat for everyone and don't need a divided Shabbat. We're here to back up the people of Ashdod. Anyone who denigrates the country, its army or the chief of staff, cannot preach morality to IDF soldiers."
Ashdod residents protested closures of businesses on Shabbat and levying of fines on stores in the Big Fashion shopping complex. Protesters further maintained that the municipality was also discriminating against the secular public in areas of construction and education.
During the protest, signs were displayed saying, "This is not the Middle Ages", "We're here to return Ashdod to the Ashdodites" and "A free Ashdod against religious coercion."
The protest was also attended by likeminded residents of other cities. "No one is going to dictate to us how to mark Shabbat," said one such resident. "You cannot force a religious way of life on us."
One of the speakers at the protest said, "Our struggle and protests are not merely on the issue of Shabbat and businesses remaining open, but revolve around democracy and my freedom as a Jew who has no other country to live in, to live in my own country—without religious coercion—in whichever manner I see fit."
"Haredi MKs, get your hands off Ashdod," the speaker demanded. "Right-wing people are also here with us, which is good. I hope Ashdod will serve as a shining example."
Guy, an Ashdod resident who attended the protest, said, "I'm truly proud to take part in this crazy struggle. It's a struggle for simultaneously upholding the dignity of religion and preserving democracy. One should not come at the expense of the other. We respect the Haredi population and will continue to do so."
"The people here today are private citizens and there are no political entities behind them. The protest is not anti-Haredi, it's against decision makers in this building (referring to the Ashdod municipality—ed)," Guy added. "We want to show this is not a passing fad. The protest began a week ago and will not cease."
Earlier Saturday Defense Minister and Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman visited the city's Big Fashion complex to display his support for the residents' struggle.
During the visit, Lieberman commented on the combustible Supermarket Law, and said, "Whoever claims the law has no meaning is both wrong and misleading. The law, unfortunately, has far-reaching implications. We can see its influence right here in Ashdod."
"Until recently residents lived here in harmony," Lieberman added, "but now the city is divided and I hope that won't spread to other cities. This division harms our national strength."
"This entire affair simply creates undue tensions and friction. The last thing we want to see is Israeli society split asunder. I hope the leaders of the religious-Zionist public, as well as the Haredi public, calm down. Just like I respect anyone going to a synagogue to pray on Saturday morning, I expect them to respect someone having a cup of coffee with friends," Lieberman declared.
Some 2,000 Ashdod residents participated in a similar protest last week. Protesters called on religious and Haredi youths who happened to wander by to conscript in the IDF.
Inna Furman, a teacher who organized the protest last week, voiced her concerns that following the Supermarket Law's approval businesses operating during Shabbat in Ashdod will begin closing down.
"Following a post I published a Whatsapp group was opened with five residents as members. From five we grew to ten, from ten to a hundred—and that's how we got more than two thousand people to protest in the streets," she said.
Furman and her compatriots collected donations from residents who objected to toughened municipal policy on Shabbat commerce enforcement and purchased a sound system to be used in the protest.
"This is a popular social struggle. We want to be heard. Enough. MKs in the State of Israel cannot enact legislation that flies against civilians, and neither can the Ashdod municipality," Furman said. "That's why we collected signatures against religious coercion. We demand to be heard."
