The Knesset voted against a proposal for public transportation on Shabbos filed by Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg on Wednesday with a majority of 53 to 26.
Zandberg attacked Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud), who respects traditional Jewish values and voted against the proposal. “It’s inconceivable that a transportation minister opposes public transportation,” Zandberg said. “It’s like a health minister who opposes building hospitals.”
Zandberg also attacked Blue and White MKs, saying: “This was one of your central election promises [to oppose religious coercion]. You promised to influence things internally. Show some backbone.”
Meanwhile, Yisrael Beiteinu Evgeny Sova MK asked a provocative question in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday. “Why isn’t there public transportation to the Kosel on Shabbos?”
Deputy Transportation Minister Uri Maklev (UTJ) who was standing at the podium responded: “As long as I’m in the transportation ministry, there won’t be buses to the Kosel on Shabbos.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
I highly doubt either one of them said “Kosel.” They said “Kotel.” If you’re going to quote people directly, at least do it correctly.
Let him go back to Russia where he belongs!
There he will have plenty public transportation on Shabat; even on Yom Kippur!
this is a yewish country,without respect of religious people.Its a scandal like
this people are also allowing to have pork meat sold in stores.they should go bacl to russia.And meretz is also know for there jewish antisemitism. a shame of you
“Why isn’t there public transportation to the Kosel on Shabbos?”
What a pity he doesn’t know enough to realise what’s wrong with that question!
I’m for sure happy that there is no public transportation on Shabbos, but I also think it’s a great question as to why there isn’t. I mean, if Israel is a democracy — and part of the goal of a democracy is to balance the will of the majority against the potential for persecution of the minority — then why should such a large percentage of Israelis suffer by not having public transportation on Shabbos? I like the question because it really is the question of whether Israel is a democracy or a “Jewish State.” I don’t see how it’s possible to explain no public transportation on Shabbos according to freedom-loving democratic principles (yes, I know that the vote was 53-26, but like I said, a democracy is set up to protect the minority from over-reaching, and I would think that such a rule would run afoul of some “basic right”). The only way to justify the prohibition is to state clearly that Israel is a “Jewish State” that does nothing in an active way to promote chillul Shabbos. This Russian Evgeny just wanted to put them in the corner to force them to admit the truth, or back down. I guess 53 MKs really believe that Israel needs to a be a Jewish State. I hope they keep that in mind when other issues come up for vote.