Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, Rabbi Moshe Gafni, expressed his protest to the fact that the heads of the umbrella Organization of Environmental Quality, Chaim Usviva, plan to award a prize to transportation companies operating on Shabbos in Jerusalem.
MK Rabbi Gafni said that the decision is astonishing, questionable and illogical and very severe, causing a politicizing of the issue of environmental quality, and that assaults all advocates of environmentalists and organizations thereof, of which he was an active partner for many years, regarding construction on the shoreline and in other areas. Rabbi Gafni has received awards from environmentalists for his efforts.
He also stated that he discussed the subject with the Knesset Speaker who is scheduled to participate in the giving of the prize, to be presented to those public transportation companies operating on Shabbos. He reported that the Knesset Chairman said that the Knesset is not connected to this subject aside from hosting the event, and that the Chairman himself is not expected to bestow said prize.
"I have been following the various environmental organizations for dozens of years," said Rabbi Gafni, "and have been partner to many of their battles. I do not recall any questionable, astonishing and illogical decision of this kind and I hope and trust that it will be retracted."
