It appears the next front for anti-chilul Shabbos protests may be Tzfat as the chareidi community expressed outrage at the blatant desecration of the holy day surrounding the construction of a new medical school, one that is affiliated with Bar Ilan University and Tzfat City Hall. 

According to a daily HaMevaser report, construction was ongoing on Sukkos, Shabbos chol hamoed and Simchas Torah. The same was the case this past Shabbos, Parshas Noach. On this particular Shabbos, there was a sizable police force in addition to the construction workers, as well as ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) agents, all preparing for today’s, Sunday 2 Cheshvan, visit of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the site to launch the construction of the new project.

Chareidi residents decried the blatant chilul Shabbos, questioning the need for such a reality when the dedication could easily be postponed for a number of days to avoid the construction work on the holy days since the campus is a project that involved Tzfat City Hall, the university and other state agencies.

Residents are angry at Tzfat Mayor Ilan Shochet, who they report rejected all calls to prevent the chilul Shabbos, seemingly more concerned with pushing the project ahead than preventing the chilul Shabbos in the city.

HaMevaser contacted Bar Ilan officials, who stated they were not asked regarding the Shabbos construction work and therefore, never gave approval for such a move, expressing sorrow and shock over the report since Bar Ilan is a religious university. The report states however that despite the statement, the university does not appear to be willing to take any steps to prevent chilul Shabbos in the future.

Rabbonim in the city also told HaMevaser that they were also told by the university that the construction workers are not Jews, another excuse that was offered in the past. This they say is unacceptable for a number of reasons, including the fact that they are causing chilul Shabbos for the many security agents compelled to protect the site.

The city’s rabbonim called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to absent themselves from Sunday’s ceremony in a sign of disapproval regarding the chilul Shabbos.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)