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27 Teves 5767 - January 17, 2007 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
UTJ No-Confidence Motion Over Shabbos Desecration by Israel Railways Defeated

By Eliezer Rauchberger

With a majority of 57 MKs from the coalition, including Shas MKs, against 21 MKs from the opposition and 14 abstentions from the Arab parties and Meretz, a joint no-confidence motion sponsored by UTJ and HaIchud HaLeumi-NRP over the large-scale Shabbos desecration by Israel Railways and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority was defeated last Monday.

The motion was presented by MK Rabbi Meir Porush (UTJ), who said that unfortunately Shabbos desecration has become a norm in the State of Israel, noting that Israel Railways operates contractors who employ Jews executing tasks specifically scheduled for Shabbos although the Association of Infrastructures Contractors is trying to put a stop to work on Shabbos. "Mr. Transportation Minister, how can the director of Israel Railways remain indifferent to the Association's request?" Rabbi Porush asked Minister Mofaz.

He went on to say that the desecration of Shabbos by Israel Railways is not an isolated incident. The Nature and National Parks Authority also planned large-scale Shabbos desecration to carry out a survey of water birds and only a letter signed by seven MKs was able to stop it. But the question remains as to why the bird count was planned for Shabbos in the first place. In a third incident, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice arrived in Israel on Shabbos Day, which led to Shabbos desecration by state workers, reporters and cameramen, security personnel, and many more.

"Who would have ever imagined in the State of Israel, of all places, we would have to battle over Shabbos observance?" said Rabbi Porush. "Why in the State of Israel, of all places, should all those Jews who cherish the Shabbos be bitterly disappointed? Why has the Jewish conscience not risen up against those among us who are responsible for the acts of Shabbos desecration, based on a national feeling calling for the preservation of our forefathers' legacy and the dearest gift given to us by Borei Olam?"

Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who responded in the name of the government, said, "Nobody among us wants to desecrate Shabbos. We are evaluating the activity being done now — though it is a lifesaving activity — and the possible alternatives, so that in future we can avoid the unusual circumstances that were in the past. In the absence of any other possibility, and only in a few cases, will non- Jewish workers be employed in order to avoid Shabbos desecration while saving lives in Israel. We have absolutely no intention of knowingly doing any activity involving Shabbos desecration when there is an alternative, now and in the future. We will make a supreme effort to insure a solution is found even in these exceptional cases."

Minister Eli Yishai also laid forth his agreement with the Transportation Minister and the Director of Israel Railways according to which only vital work would be performed on Shabbos and only by non-Jewish workers, and asked the chareidi MKs who knew of any location where work was performed to notify him and he would dispatch ministry inspectors to look into the matter.

 

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