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NEWS
Shabbos Struggles in Yerushalayim
By Y. Shain
In anticipation of the hearings on the Jerusalem municipal budget approval for 2017, the representatives of the United Torah Jewry faction together with Shas, under the guidance of the party heads and Chairman of the Finance Committee, Rabbis Moshe Gafni, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Interior Minister Arye Deri, seek a guarantee that the city cease to fund events that desecrate the Shabbos, be they overt or indirect support.
It should be noted that the representatives of the chareidi parties, UTJ and Shas, have long since warned about the trampling of Shabbos sanctity and of the deterioration in every aspect of everything connected to public Shabbos observance in Jerusalem. New businesses and outlets are being opened almost every Shabbos and the Matnasim which are the arm of the municipality as well as city companies, have been desecrating Shabbos openly and disgracefully, including in city buildings. In effect, the status quo which should have been guaranteed by all the members of the coalition by Mayor Barkat, has been violated and has disintegrated through a decelerating depreciation of violation of the sanctity of Shabbos.
Several days ago, Shabbos askonim publicized a list of over one hundred businesses, stores, restaurants and entertainment centers which are open on Shabbos in the very heart of the city, most of them in violation of municipal laws. The majority of these have been opened recently, in these past two-three years. This painful list has been disseminated among the public and sent as well to the public representatives, creating a big storm and shock waves, as expressed by them and their outcry that the sanctity of Shabbos and the rule of status quo have been so drastically breached.
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