Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli, the Labor Party leader, has set out to achieve several goals in her new position, such as providing public transport on Shabbat in cities that request it.
Her plans were immediately condemned by haredi (ultra-Orthodox) politicians, who denounced her for harming the Jewish character of the state.
Almost all municipal authorities are prohibited from operating public transportation on Shabbat. There are some exceptions, including Haifa, where such services were operational before the establishment of the state.
Among Michaeli’s various programs is a proposal to allow local municipal authorities to decide to operate public transportation systems if they so wish. This would enable municipal authorities to make a decision on this sensitive issue in accordance with the wishes of their residents.
Michaeli would need to have her plans approved by the cabinet, a step that would likely prove very difficult, given Yamina’s stated commitment to preserving the status quo on religion-and-state issues, unless otherwise stated in its coalition agreement with Yesh Atid, the N12 news site reported.
The coalition agreement between Yamina and Yesh Atid does not include any discussion of initiatives to advance public transportation on Shabbat.
Secular Israelis have long sought public transportation options on Shabbat. Activists and politicians have argued that lack of such a service severely limits the leisure options for those without private vehicles and prevents families with relatives in different parts of the country to get together over the weekend.
Religious-Zionist and haredi politicians have countered that public transportation on Shabbat would detract from the spiritual and holy nature of the day and that this should be avoided.
“The steps to destroy the Jewish character of the state and to harm the tradition of the Jewish people have got underway, with a shameful declaration by the transportation minister to have public transportation on Shabbat and holidays,” senior United Torah Judaism MK Ya’acov Litzman said. “Mr. [Naftali] Bennett, who told us about Yamina’s veto over religion-and-state affairs, is allowing the status quo to be harmed and the desecration of the national day of rest. What a disgrace.”
Labor’s coalition agreement with Yesh Atid states specifically that the two parties will work toward advancing public transportation on Shabbat, although no timetable was set, a spokeswoman for Michaeli said.
Although such initiatives are part of Michaeli’s broader vision, there are no concrete steps at present to advance such projects, she added.