MK Goldknopf would have remained silent if they hadn't stirred up a tiresome and tiresome uproar on Twitter. But there was a report of railway work on the Sabbath, so he sent a sharp letter to the Minister of Transportation Regev, who promised that the status quo would be maintained. Nefesh, and the fires of hatred burned. The truth is that no one told Goldknopf about the jobs on the train, but actually reported, the media is pressing him against the wall, forcing him to stop turning a blind eye and react harshly.
Among the issues related to religion-state relations, the status quo regarding Shabbat is the most charged and complex.
The status quo letter states: "It is clear that the legal day of rest in the Jewish state will be the Sabbath", a statement from which it is not possible to derive even in general what the nature of the Sabbath will be, and to what extent the Sabbath will be observed.
Over the years, ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset and ministers knew how to live by turning a blind eye to the Sabbath desecrations that took place in the public sphere, and did not blatantly violate the foundations of the status quo.
Goldknopf knows that most of the movie theaters in Israel, 65% of the museums, 83% of the central cultural institutions and 20% of the malls - operate on Shabbat.
The National Highway, the Port of Haifa, the border crossings, the gas stations, the radio and the television also operate on Shabbat.
Furthermore, in the previous Netanyahu government, infrastructure and transportation works were constantly carried out on Shabbat.
No drama occurred, no government fell, the Minister of Health Litzman retired and shortly after returned - especially in his honor the "Litzman Law" was enacted, which allowed him to be the Deputy Minister of Health in ministerial capacity.
His fellow faction members in the Flag of the Torah and Agudat Yisrael remained under his wing and under his preoccupation in the Knesset.
These are not the only Shabbat desecrations that occurred in the Netanyahu government and did not shock it.
A mini-storm was created following the question of the legality of the employment of the players of the National Football League, and as a result the permit committee authorized MK Haim Katz of the Likud to approve in 2018, without special difficulties, the granting of a general permit for the employment of workers in the football industry on the Sabbath. About 2,000 Jews worked on the Sabbath at events The various Eurovision, which took place in Tel Aviv, with the approval of the Ministry of Labor, the permit committee issued the blanket permits almost without objection and without serious discussion.
Also, despite the opposition of the then Minister of Transportation Israel Katz, who, following the vigorous protest of ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset, ordered a freeze on the Gesher Yehudit works that took place in Tel Aviv on Shabbat, in 2019 they started and the government continued to govern. The ultra-orthodox parties understand that the alternative to carrying out infrastructure works The state on Shabbat is a weekday existence, which will cause tremendous damage to the Israeli economy. What the ultra-Orthodox parties are trying to do is gently acknowledge the complex reality, look away when necessary, and stand on their feet when there is a real threat to the status quo.
Unfortunately, Shabbat has become a tool for cynical use for political needs, and instead of respecting the delicate texture, an artificial storm is being created, Goldknopf is pressed against the wall and must respond harshly, Netanyahu promises that there will be no jobs other than mind control, the intimidation machines are working, one point, one point.
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