There are growing tensions and exchanges of accusations between Yahadut Hatorah and Shas after the Ramat Gan City Council voted to begin Shabbos bus shuttles to entertainment areas and the beach. Yahadut Hatorah, which is not a member of the Ramat Gan coalition, questions why Shas remains in the coalition after such a move. Shas however is not apologetic, but is firing back at Yahadut Hatorah, pointing an accusing finger to the north, to Haifa, and other areas, where Yahadut Hatorah is a member of the city council.

Shas MK Michael Michaeli takes a stab at Yahadut Hatorah, calling on the party to check the changes in the religious status quo taking place in Haifa, where they are council members, while Shas is in the opposition.

Speaking during an interview with Yishai Urvina of Kikar Shabbos News, Michaeli explains, “let those very same people who are trying to give us mussar, check what is going on [regarding the status quo] in Beit Shemesh, Tel Aviv and Haifa, and then they can come back to me”, referring to cities where Yahadut Hatorah is a member of the local government, and where Chilul Shabbos is increasing R”L.

Regarding Ramat Gan, Michaeli explains that Shas did everything humanly possible to prevent the vote from passing, but it did not leave the coalition since the vote passed, nonetheless.

Yahadut Hatorah’s Moshe Gafne and Yaakov Litzman stated the passing of the vote to permit busses on Shabbos represents “crossing a red line” and the city’s mayor, Shema HaCohen will pay a political price for advancing the matter.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)