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6 Tammuz 5765 - July 13, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Foreign Ministry Issues Directive to Prevent Foreign Officials from Visiting on Shabbos

By Betzalel Kahn

The Foreign Ministry issued a directive requiring visits by ranking foreign officials to Israel to take place during the week and not on Shabbos said Mr. Rafi Shutz, deputy director of scheduling at the Foreign Ministry, in a letter to MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni.

Rabbi Gafni recently contacted Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom to complain that during the visits of high-ranking state visitors from various countries the Foreign Minister's logistics coordinators have to desecrate Shabbos to serve them even though they do not hold meetings with state officials on Shabbos. Rabbi Gafni cited several examples of state presidents and other dignitaries who have visited Israel in the recent past. "Foreign Ministry workers, including traditionalists who do not want to work on Shabbos, are required to do so against their conscience," wrote Rabbi Gafni. "Every guest who arrives in the Nation of the Jews knows Shabbos is the central symbol of Judaism and in my estimation they cannot comprehend how the State does not uphold its values."

According to the reply from Mr. Shutz, writing in the name of the Foreign Minister, state visits on Shabbos is not a new phenomenon, but has been taking place for years. "In the past Foreign Ministry workers were indeed compelled to work on Shabbos as a result of this," Shutz acknowledges.

However, he writes, a directive has been issued by the director of the Foreign Ministry to begin asking Foreign Ministry workers in Israel and abroad to arrange with their counterparts at other foreign ministries to ensure visits by dignitaries are only held during the workweek. "The directive even includes mention that in case of and due to scheduling exigencies, flights or any other reason that might create a situation in which a guest arrives in Israel on Shabbos or leaves on Shabbos or stays in [the country] on Shabbos the visit is to be classified as a private visit during the course of Shabbos and during this time period the country's embassy will have complete responsibility.

"The Director of the Foreign Ministry initiated this directive out of respect for the importance of Shabbos in the fabric of our lives and the view that we must respect our values and then the nations of the world will respect us."

 

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