WAVE: Shabbat and Transportation

A petition filed with the Supreme Court to allow public transportation on Saturdays was retracted today by the petitioners, following what seemed like a suggestion by the justices. The petition, submitted by NGOs such as the Reform Center for Religion and State, Israel Be Free (Israel Hofsheet), Hiddush – for Religious Freedom and Equality and other private…

The petitioners, which included a number of liberal groups and MK Tamar Zandberg of the left-wing Meretz party, argued that standards of “equality, dignity, freedom of movement and freedom from religion” should require the state to provide transportation on Shabbat. But the the State Prosecutor’s Office said in a letter to the court Tuesday that “the attempt by the petitioners to establish a claim whereby public transportation is a vital need does not succeed.” In its response to the petition, the state cited a current regulation allowing for public transportation on the Jewish day of rest for “essential” reasons, saying the petitioners argument did not meet the standard of “essential.”

Public transportation on Shabbat is not an essential need for Israelis, the state told the High Court of Justice on Tuesday, responding to a petition seeking much more public transportation on the Sabbath. Current law sharply curtails public transportation on the Sabbath and holidays, and the government must interpret a provision “to the extent possible”…

In a groundbreaking move, Herzliya decided Tuesday to start offering public transportation on Shabbat and holidays. Until now, the only cities that provided regular public transport on Shabbat and holidays were those with large non-Jewish populations such as Haifa. Herzliya’s Shabbat bus service, which will begin on July 1, will be limited to main roads…

“We must make arrangements for public transportation on Shabbat,” said MK Nava Boker (Likud) Tuesday in a meeting of the Economic Affairs Committee on public transportation on Saturdays. MK Yoav Ben-Tzur (Shas) called for the discussion because he says sometimes during the winter public transportation continues on Friday after the Jewish Sabbath has begun when…