Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman issued a statement praising the High Court of Justice decision to permit grocery stores to open in Tel Aviv on Shabbos. The court responded to a petition filed by Tel Aviv City Hall following over two years of government procrastination on the matter.

In his Facebook posting the senior minister stated “I welcome the High Court decision to permit opening supermarkets in commercial areas in Tel Aviv on Shabbos. It is a proportional municipal law that on the one hand permits maintaining the Shabbos as a day of rest, and on the other hand gives many citizens the possibility to spend on Shabbos according to their will. Tel Aviv has a certain character that has developed since the establishment of the state, and there is no reason for the state to intervene and harm the urban fabric that has crystallized.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)