Israel – Knesset members from both the opposition and the coalition recently submitted three separate bills calling for the operation of public transportation on weekends.
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The bills, filed by Likud, Meretz and Hadash MKs, seek to change the status-quo that has prevailed since the days of Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, according to which public transportation is forbidden from Shabbat’s onset to its conclusion.
The only exception is in Haifa, where public transportation is allowed to operate in limited capacity on Fridays and Saturdays.
The first bill was submitted by Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, who also serves as minister of information and Diaspora, and it calls for allowing public transportation on weekends, in order to enable freedom of movement to sectors who do not own a car.
However, in order to prevent any offense to religious sensitivities the bill seeks to have public transportation operate in limited capacity and to ban it completely in places where the population is predominately religious.
The two other bills, presented by left-wing parties Meretz and Hadash, call for a more fundamental change in the status-quo, and in fact seek to have it effectively annulled. According to the bills, public transportation services will operate on the weekly day of rest as well, with some limited exceptions to the rule.
While religious and ultra-Orthodox parties are naturally expected to lead the fight against the new bills, many other MKs will probably join the battle.
In discussions held on the issue during the previous Knesset’s term, religious MKs explained that operating public transportation on Shabbat would undermine Israel’s Jewish character.
The war of the seculaists is on. We don’t have enough problems, now they want to turn the land of the Holy to the land of the unholy and bring more tzurs to Yidden all over. This Chilil HaShem must be stopped with all means necessary.
As a Orthodox Jew, I would like to express my pain for the Chillul Shabbos committed by our brothers ans sisters, especially in the Holy Land.
The status quo is dead and using it to justify anything is really ridiculous.
If it passes then the Arabs will say Israel no longer has a Jewish character and is not a Jewish state. So Netanyahu can not demand that the Arabs recognize Israel as a Jewish state since in reality if the Jewish laws are completely ignored what makes it Jewish. Why else is Hadash backing it.
A pox on both their houses!
Everybody spits on everybody. The “secularists” spit on the “chareidim” and vice versa. It is the way it has always been. Chareidim will throw rocks at the buses, and the secularists will come and tear down their eruv. The secularists will sell clothes that don’t meet the requirements of the tznius police… and the chareidi will torch his store.
This never ends… it is the same fights over and over again. It is not even about who is right and who is wrong anymore… it is just ridiculous sinas chinam of the worst kind. Neither side does anything to accommodate the other. Neither side does anything to invite the other into the same tent. It is truly shameful and every yid should be embarrassed by the Chillul H” both sides create.
Please don’t stone me for this…. but…
Just a question… okay?
Where do we get the “right” to stop somone else from being Michallel Shabbos?
I understand that when they want to drive through our Chareidi small communities, we may believe we have a right to stop them. I am not even sure we are on solid ground on that.
But to stop Chillul Shabbos nationwide?
That sounds to me no different from stopping vehicular traffic in Boro Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Monsey, Montreal, Miami, etc.,
Sure, those cities/towns/communities have a high percentage of Shomer Shabbos Jews, but that does not give us the right to stop either the Gentile or the non-observant Jew from driving through.
Once Moshiach comes, and we have a Sanhedrin, etc., and we are back to having halachic right/obligation to punish avairos, that is another story.
But, even then, we can only warn in front of witnesses, and then punish by Beis Din.
After Moshiach comes we have “some” rights to control other people’s behavior in regards to the Torah. But now, in the time of Golus, I can’t figure out where we get the “right” to control others.
We can “urge” a person to make a decision to do the right thing. But in the end, isn’t it HIS decision to make?
Can we control an Israeli bus company from operating on Shabbos?
Can we control a NYC bus from driving on Shabbos?
Is there any difference?
Can we control our fellow man?
Can somone enlighten me on this one?
Reply to satmar man u askt “what gives us the right” I was wondering have u ever heard of the Torah just in case u haven’t I’ll let you In on a secrate it’s the Torah that give us and actuely demands that we try to stop others from dooing sins it’s ghazal who gave us the heter not to if we can’t or know we won’t succeed otherwise we must a torah chyuv to try of we meen only peacfuly otherwise there’s no point thanks and don’t ask where in the Torah it’s the essence of the whole Torah to teach and educate thouse that don’t know