The Israeli franchise for McDonalds will face legal proceedings for employing Jewish youths in its branch at Golani Junction on shabbos in violation of Israel labor law. A Nazareth Labor Court rejected the claims of the Aloniel Company and franchise owner Omri Padan, seeking to justify their hiring policy.

According to the News 1 report, Padan maintains the state invests a disproportional amount of time an effort enforcing the state Sabbath rest laws when it comes to shabbos. Speaking from the perspective of a defined sector, the defendants feel the law is not in line with the realities of today’s food industry in Israel.

The court responded, explaining the defendant did not adequately support its claim regarding discrimination regarding this specific sector, Jews, for it did not show enforcement varying vis-à-vis other sectors and the state labor law demanding the observance of shabbat as a ‘day of rest’.

Padan, who owns the Israel McDonalds franchise is a staunch secular advocate and has stated numerous times that he will stand on his right to sell non-kosher in Israel based on rulings of Israel’s High Court of Justice.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)