Another attempt by the board of Tel Aviv's Dov Airfield to
open its food bar on Shabbos and Jewish holidays has failed.
In a letter to the operator of the food bar the airport
director asked about his willingness to operate the food bar
on Shabbos and holidays, saying if he receives a negative
response the board would have to look into "alternative
arrangements to provide service for passengers."
MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni contacted Ovadia Eli, chairman of the
Israel Airports Authority, who issued unambiguous
instructions not to operate the food bar on Shabbos and
chagim.
According to reports, several months ago the executive board
of Dov Airfield asked the operator of the food bar to open on
Shabbos, threatening to replace them if they refused. The
owner of the establishment stood firm and contacted Rabbi
Gafni, who then contacted Eli, who explicitly instructed the
airport not to open the food bar.
Surprisingly, the airport director wrote another letter to
the food bar, insisting it operate on Shabbos. "On June 26,
2008 a working meeting was held with the National Domestic
Airports staff at Ben-Gurion Airport. At the end of this
meeting you promised to present your position regarding the
possibility of operating the food bar on Shabbat and holidays
(as per the contract). I am asking for a written reply, i.e.
whether or not you intend to make arrangements [to open on
Shabbos and chagim]. Your reply is urgently needed in
order to assess the need to make other arrangements to
provide service for passengers."
When Rabbi Gafni notified Eli of the second attempt to
operate the food bar on Shabbos the Airports Authority
Chairman grew irate over the attempt to circumvent his
instructions and reissued his orders to the airport
director.
During their conversation Eli told Rabbi Gafni he would issue
orders to operate a glatt kosher food bar at the airport to
allow event passengers who observe kashrus more stringently
to make use of the food services.
