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.
