After many months of Chilul Shabbos, carried out mainly by Israel Railways, the Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz joined the Minister of Labor & Social Affairs Chaim Katz and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the heads of the chareidi parties; Yaakov Litzman, Aryeh Deri and MK Moshe Gafne. The three called on PM Netanyahu to change today’s reality, the state-approved Chilul Shabbos!

The chareidim were told on numerous occasions that the Chilul Shabbos would be diminished or halted and now, the feeling is the decision-makers are not viewing the matter with the air of seriousness it demands.

Chareidi faction leaders in Knesset met with the prime minister on Sunday, addressing the matter once again, informing him of the upcoming combined session of the Moetzos Gedolei Yisrael.

Another issue is the soccer game, a phenomenon that existed even before the establishment of the State, according to which the games are held on the Shabbos, and now the state has to decide in the wake of the High Court of Justice on this matter, until next Thursday they will have to receive a permit. This will be brought to a vote by the vaad addressing the soccer games. In truth, this is viewed as within the Shabbos status quo since the Shabbos soccer has been a reality since the establishment of the state. Hence, the chareidim are unlikely to being making this an issue.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)