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20 Teves 5767 - January 10, 2007 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Motion to Discuss Shabbos Desecration by Israel Railways

By Eliezer Rauchberger

In a 25-1 vote the Knesset plenum passed a proposal on Monday to hold a discussion on the issue of Shabbos desecration by Israel Railways.

UTJ and HaIchud HaLeumi-NRP submitted a no-confidence motion, but following the Prime Minister's departure for China and the Knesset practice of not discussing no-confidence motions while the Prime Minister is abroad, the parties behind the motion decided to turn it into an agenda motion.

The motion was presented for UTJ by MK Rabbi Shmuel Halpert, who emphasized that a government company cannot desecrate Shabbos in such an overt manner, saying this is the first time a government company has issued a tender that includes performing work on Shabbos, meaning the tender includes a stipulation that the winner agrees to desecrate Shabbos.

Presenting the motion for HaIchud HaLeumi-NRP, MK Nissan Slomiansky said various experts said in their opinion the work could be done in a manner that would not necessitate chilul Shabbos.

Housing Minister Meir Shetreet interrupted the speakers, claiming the work can only be done on Shabbos because the railway operates from 5:00 am to 12:00 midnight, six days a week.

His argument was rejected by Knesset Chairwoman Dalia Itzik, who said on the most heavily trafficked roads in the country, such as Hwy 1, work is sometimes performed on weekdays and traffic is halted at the work site. MK Itzik also agreed with the point that religious workers would be discriminated against since they would be unable to work on the project and religious companies would be unable to bid.

MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz noted that the beginning of the end of Ehud Barak and his government was because of UTJ's resignation after an incident in which a turbine was transported on Shabbos. "Barak wanted to introduce a new secular agenda and set up a civil state at the expense of Shabbat, but Shabbat is the source of blessing and it won."

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni recalled how former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called then Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer following a request by him and Rabbi Ravitz, and instructed him to stop construction from taking place on Shabbos at Ganot Junction as scheduled — despite claims there was no other way to perform the work. "There's no such thing as impossible," he said. "If people want to a way can be found."

Minister Yitzchak Cohen, responding for Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, said until a solution is found the work would be postponed to avoid chilul Shabbos by Israel Railways.

 

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