Asked to comment on the opening of the WeWork complex on Shabbos in Yerushalayim during his address at the 40th Jerusalem Institute Conference, Mayor Moshe Leon responded, “It is not public Chilul Shabbos. I have no problem with it. From my point of view, the entire city can be filled with WeWork complexes.

Agudas Yisrael Jerusalem Councilman Yochanan Weizman revealed last week that the religious status quo in the city is not being maintained as was promised would be the case, and he was quick to bring the matter to the attention of the newly-elected shomer Shabbos mayor, Moshe Leon. Weizman learned two more businesses opened last Shabbos, in violation of municipal bylaws.

One of the businesses Weizman claims creates public chilul Shabbos, pointing out it is not located in a city complex however, but in the new office tower that used to be the site of the Mashbir Department store, on King George Street. This new site, the WeWork complex, is open on Shabbos and Agudas Yisrael claims it is public chilul Shabbos since it has an impact on persons residing near the building. The mayor however responded, “I have no problem with this”.

Both the Hamodia and Hamevaser newspapers, which align with Agudas Yisrael, address the chilul Shabbos in their Thursday editions, attacking Mayor Leon for his indifference after promising to uphold the religious status quo in the city. The newspapers address the nightlife activity in ‘The Shuk’, referring to Machane Yehuda, which has become a popular attraction that draws visitors from around Israel. The newspapers point out that for decades, the shuk was a commercial venue and not an entertainment venue, a place that was bustling with shoppers during the day and was quiet at nighttime, permitting residents in the surrounding neighborhoods to enjoy the quiet. However, they point out, in recent years, elements interested in profit, changed all of this, and today, the nighttime reality in the shuk is nightlong entertainment, at the expense of the surrounding communities.

“The current situation is causing untold suffering to the residents of the region and constitutes a nuisance that makes their lives difficult and also brings them tangible dangers when they come to their homes because drunkards and other dangerous people walk around in such places,” the newspapers write, continuing, “Unfortunately, so far the Jerusalem Municipality has not taken the necessary steps to restore the residents’ peace of mind, which was stolen from them by those who turned the place into a nighttime recreation site, violating the planning laws and the work and rest hours laws.”

Councilman Weizman called on the Jerusalem municipality to “do its part and enforce the law, so that the serious nuisance in the Machane Yehuda market will be canceled, and peace will be restored to those living in its vicinity.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)