(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
The Hiddush Public Opinion Survey on Supreme Court’s ruling on Tel Aviv municipality’s Shabbos Ordinance. In advance of the meeting between PM Netanyahu and the chareidi political parties on the matter of Shabbos in Israel’s public sphere, 73% support the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling permitting stores to operate in Tel Aviv on Shabbos.
This includes 97% of secular Israeli Jews and most voters for the civil Government Coalition parties. Rabbi Uri Regev: “The Prime Minister must represent the Israeli public and the needs of the State. He must not give in to threats.”
73% of the Jewish public in Israel supports the High Court of Justice’s ruling, which approved the Tel Aviv municipal ordinance concerning the operation of business on Shabbat. This includes 97% of secular Israeli Jews, 72% of Tel Aviv residents, and most of the voters for the civil Government Coalition parties.
These data emerged from a Hiddush public opinion survey conducted by the Smith Polling Institute, conducted on April 26-27 among a representative sample of Israel’s adult Jewish population in advance of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting with the heads of the ultra-Orthodox political parties. The ultra-Orthodox political parties are expected to present their demand for Shabbat legislation after their recent threats to topple the Government against the backdrop of the Shabbat battles.
Rabbi Uri Regev, CEO of Hiddush for Religious Freedom in Israel, responded: “Israel is grappling with a variety of issues related to the challenge of its identity as a ‘Jewish and democratic’ State. The ultra-Orthodox parties have repeatedly used their political clout to impose their will upon the Israeli public and push the State toward theocracy, ignoring the majority of the public’s will. It is an obvious fact that the public prefers a more lenient approach to Shabbat prohibitions in the public sphere, while maintaining the special character of Shabbat, compared to the rest of the week. Indeed, the Supreme Court’s ruling respected the public’s will and gave proper expression to the balance contained in the formula of ‘Jewish and democratic,’ granting local authorities the right to decide such matters based upon municipal public opinion. We hope that the balance supported by the Supreme Court will maintained. It is essential that the Prime Minister represent the public and the needs of the State, and not give in to threats – and that the Opposition parties declare that they will not join with the ultra-Orthodox parties to topple the government!”
The survey question was as follows: “Following the Supreme Court’s ruling to approve the Tel Aviv municipality’s ordinance to open three commercial areas and a limited number of mini-markets in other parts of the city on Shabbat (approx. 160, instead of the 300 that operate today), the ultra-Orthodox political parties are demanding legislation to nullify the Court’s ruling and prevent the opening of such businesses, even on a limited scale, at the discretion of local authorities. Which of the following positions do you support: The Supreme Court ruling that approved the municipal ordinance or the demands of the ultra-Orthodox political parties for legislation to bypass the Supreme Court.”
73% responded that they support the High Court of Justice’s ruling, which approved the municipal Shabbat ordinance. This includes 97% of secular Jewish Israelis, 91% of traditional Jewish Israelis (not so close to religion), 60% of traditional Jewish Israelis (close to religion), 27% of Zionist Orthodox Jews, and 4% of ultra-Orthodox Israelis. 72% of Tel Aviv residents support the High Court’s decision, while only 27% support the ultra-Orthodox parties’ demand for legislation to bypass the Court.
In a previous Hiddush survey conducted in January, it emerged that 71% of the Jewish public supports the allowing the local authorities to make such decisions, rather than the Minister of the Interior (only 16%) or the Prime Minister or any other Orthodox Government Minister (13%).
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Knesset Member David Amsalem (Likud) said that “the status quo must be preserved at the Western Wall and on Shabbat, and this is the position of most Likud voters.” In light of his past support for the ultra-Orthodox political parties’ positions, it is not surprising that MK Amsalem’s words are wrong and misleading: According to the survey, 63% of Likud voters support the Supreme Court ruling! This support is shared by 87% of Kulanu voters, 100% of Yisrael Beiteinu voters, and 42% of Jewish Home voters. In the previous survey, only 26% of Likud voters voiced support the ultra-Orthodox parties’ demand that the Tel Aviv ordinance by abolished so that all mini-markets would be closed on Shabbat in Tel Aviv.
What is Hiddush?
Hiddush is an advocacy and public education organization that works to strengthen Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and to realize the promise of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, “for religious freedom and equality for all”. Hiddush is a non-denominational, non-partisan partnership between Israel and world Jewry.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
That’s like saying 80% of the Jews decided we don’t care about what God says about Shabbt . Well guess what 80% of the Jews died before we left Mitzraim………
The 27% anti-Hashem anti-Torah should be thrown out of Israel. They’re probably not Jewish anyhow and don’t belong in OUR holy Jewish country.
Don’t believe them a word. Load of rubbish! It’s not just the religious who want a day of rest and far more seculars respect religion than Hiddush YM”S like to believe.
Just so you can understand those religious opposing shabbat legislation, and at least give benefit of the doubt, here are a few points. First since kavod shabbat is probably the main reason for the laws you need to consider all consequences. Would a secular jew be more or less likely to keep shabbat if he feels resentful that the religious are forcing him? Second, some may even become anti religious for this and similar reasons. He may be less likely to be sympathetic to religious causes leading to the religious minority looking out in the big picture. The unfortunate demonising of the religious in the press etc stems to some degree at least from a fear that they want to remove secular freedoms. Which comes to another point, the role of religion in a democracy. We do not yet have a sanhedrin. What is the religious obligation in regards to enforcing the torah in such a system? Legislation does not mean you believe it’s right. I think smoking is dangerous and should not be done at all but dont believe it should be illegal.