The Ministerial Legislative Committee on Sunday decided to reject the anti-chametz bill intended to prevent the sale of chametz in Yerushalayim during Pessach. The decision was not prompted by opposition, but by the desire to enlist more support, deciding to use the bill submitted by MK Schneller over the Shas Party bill, feeling it will have an easier time passing in Knesset.

The bill is prompted by last year’s Jerusalem court decision presenting a unique interpretation of the law, permitting the sale of chametz in the capital.

The committee indicated it will prepare a new version of the bill by next week’s meeting that addresses the needs of the bill while not resulting in change in the status quo.

The special committee that will prepare the new bill will include Shas leader Minister R’ Eli Yishai, Ministers Dan Meridor, Gidon Saar, Yitzchak Herzog and a representative from Yisrael Beitenu. Yishai is working to have the bill passed into law in time for this coming Pessach.

The lawmakers appear to favor the bill presented by MK (Kadima) Otniel Schneller, which addresses the current law which forbids chametz being seen in public, changing the Hebrew word ‘pumbi’ to ‘tziburi’, that chametz may not been seen in a public place. 23 MKs have already signed backing the bill to date.

The word ‘pumbi’, publically displayed, was the window of opportunity used in the court’s ruling last year, with the court explaining that since the chametz was inside the store, not in the window, it was not “publically displayed” and therefore, not a violation of the law. The new version would outlaw chametz in a public place.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)