Bill for Massive Chilul Shabbos Defeated

A Yesh Atid bill that would have opened the way for chilul Shabbos by bus companies all over the country was defeated by the ministerial legislation committee on Sunday, Globes reported.

MK Yael German’s proposal sought to give local authorities the right to decide whether to operate public transportation on Shabbos. According to the existing law, the Ministry of Transportation issues licenses to operate on Shabbos only in exceptional cases, such as rides to hospitals, border communities, non-Jewish communities, and transportation essential for public security.

Committee members from the coalition — including Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Jewish Home — voted down the proposal, as expected. The coalition agreement calls for all the parties “to preserve the status quo in matters of religion and state.”

German said: “We won’t give up. We’ll submit the bill again in six months, and again in a year, and again and again until it passes.”