A meeting of a local committee took place in Jerusalem on Wednesday, 15 Adar-I to discuss operating the Mitcham HaTachana (First Station) in Jerusalem, now an increasingly popular site for restaurants and entertainment.

The committee convened to discuss the future of the locale, and the religious city councilmen were expected to attend to have the sufficient number of votes to stipulate the area must not be permitted to operate on Shabbos. The non-religious councilmen were present, anxious to voice their objections to any attempt to compel the closure of the site on Shabbos.

However, the Shas councilmen were conspicuously absent from the meeting and made sure to shut off their mobile phones, hence they could not be contacted, leaving Yahadut Hatorah colleagues alone and without sufficient support to push their Shabbos agenda.

As a result, the religious councilmen lacked the required numbers and the committee did not stipulate in the future the entertainment area must close on Shabbos.

Shas officials explain that Tzvika Cohen was elsewhere and when he realized the hour, he hurried to the meeting but did not make it in time.

The religious councilmen were furious over Shas’ absence, which has serious consequences. Councilman Yitzchak Pindrus is quoted by Kikar Shabbos News saying “he was in the building and simply disappeared. Someone here got something in return”.

Bayit Yehudi Councilman Dov Kalmanovich asked in the name of Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern to delay the vote for one week to permit visiting this coming Shabbos to get a firsthand look at what goes on but the committee chair declined to push off the vote.

Councilman (Bnei Torah) Chaim Epstein added it is an outrage and he is saddened to see another blow to the sanctity of the holy city and Shabbos, and the fact he is aware some colleagues have other agendas that permit them to act as they do regarding critical votes such as this one.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)