Against the background of the announcement by the Minister of Transportation, Merav Michaeli, that he ordered the NTA company, which is building the light rail in Gush Dan, to examine the operation of the train also on Saturdays starting in November, the association Hadosh, for religious freedom and equality, publishes a new survey indicating broad support of about 75% of the adult Jewish public in Israel, in operating public transportation on Shabbat.
Public transportation support shift on Shabbat, archive, photo: Roni Shitzer
According to the findings of the survey conducted by the Smith Institute, it appears that 37% of the supporters believe that the government should be allowed to approve public transportation on Shabbat and decide on the routes, frequency and scope of the service.
38% of supporters believe that each local authority should be allowed to regulate this for its residents, while 25% of respondents oppose and claim that public transportation on Shabbat should be prohibited by law.
Among voters of the coalition parties, the support rate reaches about 95% or higher, among right-wing voters, the support rate is about 79%, and among Likud voters, the support rate is about 68%.
Support was also recorded from a less expected direction of the public that defines itself as religious: 37% of the public that defines itself as religious/national religious also supports the measure, 63% of the traditional-religious public, 88% of the traditional non-religious public and 98% of the secular public.
Merav Michaeli
"The majority of the religious public - supports", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"Public transportation on Shabbat is essential"
The CEO of Hadosh, Rabbi Adv. Uri Regev, said following the findings of the survey: "The majority of the public supports running public transportation on Shabbat and this is one of the most important issues for change.
Merav Michaeli, the Minister of Transportation, should be congratulated for finally taking a practical step in the necessary direction and it's a shame that she didn't do it sooner, since the demand for public transportation on Shabbat was one of the cornerstones of the coalition agreement with the Labor Party, as well as in the coalition agreements of Blue and White, Israel is our home and Meretz.
"Now it remains to be hoped that this step will be maintained even after the elections and that the Likud will also be attentive to the will of its voters, to operate public transportation on Shabbat and to be freed from surrendering to the blackmail of the ultra-orthodox parties.
"Public transportation on Shabbat is essential, not only for realizing the values of religious freedom guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence, but also in order to help disadvantaged population groups who do not own a private vehicle, as well as young people, the elderly, or soldiers on vacation who wish to spend the weekend, which is now denied to them by relying on public transportation." .
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