Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

29 Adar II 5763 - April 2, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

OBSERVATIONS

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

 

Produced and housed by
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Shema Yisrael Torah Network

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS
Olmert Orders Shabbos Inspections Frozen
by Betzalel Kahn

Industry and Trade Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed Shinui's demands to stop sending Druse inspectors around on Shabbos to penalize shopping malls open illegally "until the issue has been studied." The Mafdal says this step would cause a crisis in the coalition, while Shinui insists "there will not be religious coercion in this government."

The coalition crisis that erupted last Thursday could have an impact on the government's ability to function in the future. The Mafdal announcement threatening to withdraw from the government appears insincere because the party has faced harsh public criticism ever since it forged a commitment recently to collaborate with Shinui, criticism that could precipitate a coalition crisis initiated by the Mafdal and eventually leading to a compromise on the issue to prevent the party from resigning.

Last Thursday, Industry and Trade Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced he was halting the work of Druse inspectors who have been employed in recent years to enforce the Shabbos Law. Thousands of fines have been issued to store owners who opened for business on Shabbos. In 2000 alone, the inspectors found 1,800 businesses open on Shabbos and imposed administrative fines on 500 business owners. Sixty-seven indictments have been filed in court and in all of cases the judges have upheld the law prohibiting chilul Shabbos befarhesiyo, refusing demands to rescind it.

In the most recent of these cases, just two weeks ago, a company operating on Shabbos asked the High Court to annul the law prohibiting the employment of Jews on Shabbos on the grounds that it allegedly conflicts with the Basic Law, of freedom of employment. Judge Daliya Dorner rejected the appeal, ruling that the Basic Law allows interfering with employment on Shabbos since the law fits the country's values.

Despite such rulings, Olmert decided to continue his trend of recent weeks by halting the inspections immediately, following inducements by Justice Minister and Shinui Chairman Yosef Lapid, who said, "This policy was [promoted] by Shas, which is no longer a member of the government."

Mafdal Chairman, Minister Effie Eitam contacted the Prime Minister asking him to instruct Olmert to continue enforcing the Labor and Rest Hours Law by maintaining the policy of dispatching Druse inspectors as has been practiced in recent years. "Olmert's decision to suspend the inspectors' work represents a serious violation of the coalition agreement," Eitam told reporters. How the Prime Minister intends to handle this development remains unclear, but the issue requires urgent attention since it caused instability in the government already in its first month in power.

Olmert's illegal decision brought several additional responses. MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz said there is no reason to study the matter if the courts have addressed it numerous times already. "Something smells fishy when Olmert starts to work for Tomi Lapid. The issue is not worth examining and this is simply an outright capitulation by Olmert to Tomi Lapid and Shinui. All those who are constantly shouting about the rule of law want to fight against the law itself? I don't understand why the issue requires an investigation by a minister. Whenever it was brought before the courts they always sided with the Ministry of Labor and Welfare on the question of its legality," said Ravitz.

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said, "As gedolei Yisroel predicted, this is a government whose plan is to destroy every trace of Judaism in this country. As part of their plan the Olmert-Lapid duo agreed to destroy everything, including putting a stop to the work of the inspectors at malls on Shabbos. This means that the State of Israel, as per their plan, is turning into a non-Jewish country that will not have the merit to exist. We will have to warn the whole world because of the dangerous direction of the terrible devastation the Prime Minister is doing with the Olmert-Lapid duo and with the Mafdal's support."

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.