A major water main break in Ashdod on Shabbos seems to be what initiated Shabbos violence between frum and secular residents. Employees of the Tagid Water Company arrived on the scene of the water main break to begin implementing repairs, but chareidim were not prepared to permit them to desecrate Shabbos to restore water.
When the chareidim began interfering with repair efforts a secular resident summoned police but by the time they arrived, the water company employees had fled the scene. The area, Uziyahu Boulevard, is a mixed neighborhood, home to chareidim and secular residents alike.
After police left the area, the non-frum residents began protesting as they wanted their water service restored.
The daily HaMevaser quotes Rabbi Einflink, who insists the water company could have and should have sent non-Jewish technicians to begin with. The rav states this was not the first case the water company is guilty of public desecration of Shabbos in the city, which he calls a violation of the status quo. The rav adds that a supervisory vehicle also appeared on the scene, taking photos, which he insists was not necessary and unacceptable. The rav is quoted as saying that there is no reason that non-Jews cannot be used for such repairs on Shabbos.
Kikar Shabbat adds that a non-Jewish technician was then sent to begin repairs, in line with an agreement with the city’s religious council [as is done in Jerusalem as well], but the chareidim remained determined to prevent carrying out repairs on Shabbos.
The situation was described as stormy for a while and it remains unclear as to the outcome but it appears the water repair was not carried out until after Shabbos.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The workers who showed up were not forced to work on shabbos. That was their choice and in a democracy, their legal right. The Chareidim are certainly entitled to follow their derech but have no right to obstruct those who choose to work on shabbos or those who want their water service restored. At some point, we will run out of shabbos goyim (if we continue to restrict where Palestinians can live and work for security reason) and will have to use yidden on on some jobs so they might as well get used to it.