Ministers irate as court lets Tel Aviv shops operate on Shabbat

Following a court decision Wednesday to allow certain Tel Aviv shops to operate on Shabbat, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, condemned the ruling and demanded that a broader panel of judges hear the case.

Deri said he had decided to oppose the bylaw on the eve of Passover, but delayed announcing the decision because of the holiday. "I regret that the High Court didn't respect the interior minister's decision and didn't ask for his opinion before deciding on the Shabbat case," he said. He added that he was in shock at what he described as the court's underhandedness, especially since the judges knew that he was handling the matter.

Deri also criticized the fact that there was not a single religious judge on the panel that made the ruling. "I demand that the attorney general order a renewed hearing with a wider panel," the interior minister said. In his plea to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, Deri wrote: "Following our conversation yesterday, a formulated decision was sent to your office, but suddenly, while I was waiting for a response from the Justice Ministry, the High Court of Justice announced its decision about an hour before it was made public."

Deri also wrote an appeal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signed by the heads of the ultra-Orthodox parties, demanding his support for prohibiting shops from operating on Shabbat. "The coalition agreement calls for the preservation of the status quo," Deri wrote.

Health Minister Yakov Litzman, head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, also came out against the court ruling, saying that it "doesn't leave us any choice but to launch court-bypassing legislation."

The ruling represents a "severe blow to the holiness of Shabbat and the Jewish nature of the State of Israel," he added. "This is part of the continuing gross judicial intervention in matters of religion and religious law."

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai lauded the court decision, calling it a fair ruling that keeps Tel Aviv free.

The decision affects around 160 kiosks and three large entertainment complexes in the city, located in zones that municipal bylaws exempt from the Shabbat Law, which requires businesses to close on Shabbat.

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