The heads of the chareidi parties in Knesset; Aryeh Deri, Yaakov Litzman and Moshe Gafni, met Monday with Minister Yariv Levin, who was appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to mediate on chilul Shabbos and the Shabbos Law.

Kikar Shabbos News reports that during the meeting there was a long debate over the wording of the new law, which gives the Interior Minister the authority to intervene in the municipal by-law regarding Shabbos. In the end, it was decided that Minister Levin would bring a text acceptable to him within a few days, one that would pass muster in Likud.

During the discussion, Levin raised the concerns of Likud and Prime Minister Netanyahu that Yair Lapid will try to turn the new law into political capital for Yesh Atid.

In addition, MK Moshe Gafni raised a demand during the meeting that the new law be applied retroactively to what has been granted a permit in Tel Aviv and that it will become a law that bypasses the High Court of Justice. The other chareidi representatives and Levin also claimed that this is not the time to discuss the issue.

The report adds the representatives complained to Minister Levin why the railway work in Binyamina was being carried out seven days a week, including Shabbos, and demanded that he try to shorten the workweek to six days.

At the meeting, the chareidim raised formulas for the law and Levin rejected most of them. Deri said in response to Levin: “We have reached our red line, and for two years we have been compelled to swallow the chilul Shabbos without end. If the new laws does not pass, we cannot continue”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)