The Knesset on Wednesday voted 35-10 against the Shabbos public bus service bill presented by Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz.

Minister of Transportation (Likud) Yisrael Katz absented himself from the vote. Deputy Health Minister (Yahadut HaTorah) Yaakov Litzman responded in the minister’s name explaining the government opposes the bill because it challenges the long-standing Shabbos status quo; a change would result in much dispute; and in reality the demand for Shabbos bus service would be minimal.

Litzman added “Shabbos watches over us while we watch over the Shabbos. This won’t help the opposition. I hope one day MK Horowitz will do tshuva.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)