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6 Teves 5760 - December 15, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Rabbi Gafni Opposes Granting El Al Shabbos Operation Following Privatization

by Eliezer Rauchberger

At a recent meeting of the Auxiliary Committee for Privatization, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni expressed opposition to granting permission to El Al to operate on Shabbos as it undergoes privatization.

Throughout the deliberations, a number of Knesset members claimed that the new privatization framework should enable El Al to conduct flights on Shabbos since this restriction has caused the company heavy losses. Part of the change over into a profit-making company, they claim, must include the operation of Shabbos flights.

Rabbi Gafni asked how much loss the company would incur if thousands of Jews stop using its services because it has begun to desecrate Shabbos. He questioned whether permitting El Al to fly on Shabbos would not yield losses instead of gains.

"No matter what the scenario," he said, "we adamantly oppose permitting a national company to fly on Shabbos on principle, since this would result in massive Shabbos desecration by hundreds of workers."

Chareidi observers have long challenged company figures that show losses as a result of its Shabbos observance. Moreover, the issue also includes matters of principle since, even as a private company El Al will remain the State of Israel flagship air carrier. Thus its observance of Shabbos is an important statement of the meaning and importance of Shabbos to the Jewish people.


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