Many residents of Modi’in Illit are angry that bus service to and from the chareidi city has been sorely compromised this week. This is because many of the drivers of the company serving the city are Muslim, and they are not working this week in observance of the Feast of the Sacrifice holiday. Many if not most of the Kavim Company bus drivers, which service Modi’in Illit, are Muslim.
Residents report in some cases that they and small children waited at bus stops for unreasonable periods of time, even up to 45 minutes. The regular schedule does not exist this week, and persons heading to and from work or vacation are unable to know if and when a bus will come. When buses do arrive, they are packed beyond normal capacity since there are so many stranded commuters.
Residents insist the Muslim holiday did not suddenly appear, and the company could have and should have made arrangements to hire drivers and/or buses from other companies to meet their service obligations in the city. They insist such a condition would not be tolerated in other cities and there is no reason this should occur in Modi’in Illit this week.
Councilman Nachman Neiman is quoted by BeChadrei Chareidim explaining that the situation is intolerable. He adds that since Kavim was awarded the contract to service Modi’in Illit from the SuperBus Company, the latter “appeared ideal as since Kavim has taken over, little by little, the service we receive continues to decline”.
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(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
So during chol hamoed Jewish bus drivers are working so why cant Arab bus workers work now? They dont in their religion have an issur melacha. It doesnt mean that we shouldn’t be insensitive to each others needs. Jews shouldn’t be allowed to take vacation during Muslim holidays and muslims shouldn’t be allowed to take vacations during Jewish ones.
As reported here on YWN and other Israeli media, there are driver shortages throughout the country including Eged and most of the private bus lines for the same reason. Maybe the ehrliche Councilman now understands how the Arabs have to deal with the virtual shutdown of public services on Shabbos and yom tovim. Perhaps some of the “unemployed” Chareidi residents of MI should consider applying for training as bus drivers, mechanics and dispatchers so the City is not so reliant on Arab drivers. Many have noted the security risks of so many drivers (up to 35-40 percent) being Arabs.
Gadolhadorah our resident sonei yisroel.
maybe the frum people who learn all year except during this three week period should volunteer to be substitute bus drivers? That would help every one……
Who writes all these artcles about Modiin Illit? It makes the people there in such a bunch of egotists. Earlier there was an article about the planes flying over Modiin Illit, decrying that it makes the inhabitants “crazy” The only thing that was bothering the inhabitants of this mokom Torah was that they mainly flew over on Shabbos. The whole week there were hardly any planes, only on Shabbos they kept coming every 3 minutes.
Also regarding this bus situation, “anger and frustration” that overstates it. Yes it is a bit uncomfortable, but it is nothing major that you would have to put such a glaring headline.
The Gadol has spoken. Let us try to understand in depth his many great ideas, as they are all amazing.
1. There is a general shortage of drivers throughout Israel, so just wait in the heat with your kids, quietly please..
2. Arabs suffer too on Shabbos and Yomtov from lack of services, so we should suffer too, all week.
3. Chareidim don’t work as we all know, so they should all become bus drivers.
4. Arab drivers are a security risk anyway…
Just a few sha’aylos to the Gadol:
If Chareidim all become bus drivers who will drive the Arabs on Shabbos?
If all Arabs are a security risk, why are they allowed to be drivers at all?
But still, these ideas are so true, and now we know exactly how to remedy the situation…
Modiin Ilit is a beautiful city with so more we can all learn from. The focus on torah is beautiful. Mir Bachfeld is one of the top yeshivos in the country. When shopping there, it is not uncommon to come across people who are clearly not observant to the standards of the community, and everyone is kind and warm.
Because this community has a very low level of income (overall), there are times that some feel that the government treats them as second class citizens. I don’t know all of the details, but I have heard some valid concerns and I hope that any inequities can be handled appropriately.
As to YWN is covering this city, it’s seems likely that someone there has a connection with the YWN editorial team. There are plenty of Americans living in Moddin Ilit, not to mention the adjacent communities of Moshav Matityahu and Chashmonaim.