The emergency meeting of the chareidi parties. In the center, facing the camera are (from the right): Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Rabbi Arye Deri and Rabbi Yaakov Litzman
Harsh and hard facts regarding the sweeping work permits for work on Shabbos authorized by the Transportation Ministry, are arousing shock waves in the religious community in Israel. As a result a united front of the chareidi and religious parties has formed to demand that this travesty be halted.
Most of the work has been carried out by transportation companies and especially the railroad which, though nominally independent, is closely supervised by the government through the Transportation Ministry. In fact, the railroad applies for work permits to the Welfare Ministry, which must evaluate them and approve or reject them.
In response to a request by Yated Ne'eman for its position on the recent chilul Shabbos, The Transportation Ministry, responded: "The Transportation Ministry has no connection to petitions presented by various companies to the Welfare and Employment Ministry regarding decisions made by them."
Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, Rabbi Moshe Gafni, responded to this statement in an acerbic attack: "This reaction does not stand the test of the real situation! The Transportation Ministry is the body which orders the work, and it should desist from circumvention and feigned naivete. Those who claim that they have not ordered the work should not come and cut the ribbons at the successful completion of each project"
Yated Ne'eman presented its queries to the other government ministries with control or interest in the situation. These ministries, including that of the Prime Minister, which are defiling the holy Shabbos, did not bother to respond.
"We will not agree to the continuation of the severe phenomenon where Shabbos is being transformed into a day of maintenance and repairs for the State of Israel. We demand that the Prime Minister honor the coalition agreement and restore the status quo to its former status and to immediately stop the infrastructure work by the Railway Authority on Shabbos."
This was the announcement conveyed by the members of the chareidi representation in the Knesset — Shas and Degel HaTorah — at the end of a stormy emergency joint meeting which was called in the wake of increasing Shabbos desecration throughout the country, mainly connected to the railway. The representatives stated that in addition, they are also demanding "to cease adding new bus routes on Shabbos and allowing private companies to operate public transportation on Shabbos. Our parties regard the present situation as a grave violation of the coalition agreement."
The representatives stressed that after a meeting with the Prime Minister and the relevant cabinet ministers which took place on the subject that "these matters will be brought for a decision of our Torah leaders."
On Thursday it was announced that a preliminary agreement had been reached. It stipulates that this week all Shabbos work will be canceled and a special monitoring group will be set up.
