MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Rav Yisrael Eichler believes prolonged blackouts in chareidi areas of Yerushalayim is connected to chilul Shabbos.
The Knesset Finance Committee earlier in the week discussed recent Shabbos blackouts in neighborhoods including Ramat Eshkol and Sanhedria.
According to MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Rav Uri Maklev, who convened the special session, the blackouts were quite lengthy, leaving residents on a winter Shabbos without lights or heating. Temperatures on the Shabbos dropped into the high 30sF, and while he praised Israel Electric Company’s (IEC) public relations officials, the utility company’s service leaves much to be desired. The MK explained that too often, customers are left without electricity for over 24 hours.
Eichler, who chaired the meeting, explained there are two causes for the outages, focusing on the power outages around Israel, particularly in Jerusalem. Eichler feels the nationwide housing shortage is a major contributory factor, for the lack of housing has resulted in more people squeezing into existing areas, and this places a sharp increase on the electric grid in frum areas. The housing shortage he blames on “government failures’.
Eichler feels the second problem is the result of political pressure applied on the cabinet ministers responsible for energy and water, preventing badly-needed modernization. “When they wanted to automate the process, a move that enjoyed the support of IEC-officials, anti-religious officials began to fear, perhaps the electricity will be automated and Shabbos would benefit, compelling decision makers to drop the automation idea”.
IEC Jerusalem District supervisor Yitzchak Avori explains he does not receive reports of outages. In addition, there are many “giant” apartments and illegal homes, both placing added strain on the grid. “On a regular day we are fine. We can handle it but on erev Shabbos, we often have to change a fuse and it reoccurs a short time later”. He adds that “if there is an interruption in service close to candle lighting, many persons will not phone it in and this too delays implementing repairs. In a number of cases, non-Jewish repairman arrived on Shabbos to restore power but residents would not permit them into their home.”
A senior official in the government who deals with the utility insists there is simply no connection between power outages and the delays in automating to the best of his knowledge, explaining the main cause is simply too much demand, a system overload. He further explained if IEC would find suitable locals for the placement of new transformers and then turn to Jerusalem City Hall, there would be progress.
Unfortunately, many residents are adamantly opposed to have transformers installed in proximity to their home, delaying expansion of the grid.
Eichler called on IEC to hire additional non-Jews who can monitor and report Shabbos outages in chareidi areas.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Cmon now, if this winter wasnt rainy enough, MK EICHLER would blame the Israeli government for stopping the rains from falling!!!
Enough is enough. People are starting to not heed anything that Eichler says.