By now, it is clear to all that the Shabbos/Makolet Bill was not voted upon in Knesset on Tuesday as scheduled due to disagreement, and not because the coalition lacked a majority to pass it into law.

The bill appeared on the plenum agenda once again Wednesday, 16 Teves, not for its final readings however, but to pass it back to committee where it will be amended once again. This was to happen on Wednesday afternoon.

There is pressure on the chareidi parties for the bill to exclude convenience stores found in gas stations around the country. At present, chareidi faction heads in Knesset are willing to make this concession, however, additional demands that the bill also exclude the resort city of Eilat are being opposed by chareidi lawmakers, who insist this is asking for more than they are willing to give.

It appears Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is unwilling to include Eilat into the package, calling for its exclusion, but the chareidim insist this is not so and the city will be under the same Shabbos restrictions are other cities around the country.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)