Rabbi Litzman to Netanyahu: If Shabbos Will Be Desecrated by Infrastructure Work, I Will Resign

YERUSHALAYIM
Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman. (Isaac Harari/Flash90)

Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman informed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday that if this coming Shabbos will be desecrated by infrastructure work for the train, chalilah, he will resign on Sunday from his position in the government.

Rabbi Litzman explained: “The continuous turning of Shabbos into the day of the national renovations and infrastructure work of the Israel Railways is a blatant breach of the status quo, and constitutes a serious violation of the Jewish tradition.”

During the morning, discussions were held between the offices of Health Minister Litzman, the Prime Minister’s Bureau and Labor Minister Chaim Katz’s office regarding the planned work for this Shabbos. Rabbi Litzman made it clear to the prime minister that he was serious about his intentions and eventually announced that if the work was to be approved, he intended to resign from the government.

For several months, the chareidi parties have protested the government’s ongoing flouting of agreements and understandings reached to eliminate public chillulei Shabbos, such as railway infrastructure work despite there being no pikuach nefesh involved. All attempts to appeal to the various ministers or the special government committee that was established for this purpose thus far have, unfortunately, been fruitless.

 

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