Israeli govt lets municipalities decide on transport during Shabbat

The Israeli government unanimously approved on Sunday Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli's proposal to give local authorities the power to make their own decisions regarding public transportation, including promoting the disputed issue of transport operations on Shabbat - Friday night and Saturday. 

A metropolitan authority will be established to settle this matter. One of the most heated debates as the inauguration of the first light rail line in Israel’s center approaches, is whether or not the Tel Aviv light rail should operate on Shabbat. 

The two sides of the argument are clashing, and this explosive topic has become central to many households in the country as the early November inauguration creeps up. 

Today, public transportation operates on Shabbat in some Israeli cities, including the mixed city of Haifa, the Galilee area, and non-Jewish communities. There are also buses that run from towns in the north and south, such as Kiryat Shmona and Eilat, to the center on Saturday afternoon.

However, in most of the country's cities, public transport stops a few hours before nightfall on Friday and resumes the following evening.

Thus, for some religious Israelis, running the light rail on Shabbat is inconceivable. For others, it is indispensable. Israelis would be able to enjoy the beach and the many activities Tel Aviv has to offer without having to worry about finding a parking space or paying for cabs.

"The current situation is simply arbitrary. Why can the 845 bus line leave Kiryat Shmona on Saturday afternoons? What makes this line unique?" said Uri Keder, CEO of Free Israel, the most significant grassroots movement in religious freedom and pluralism. 

"What right do the people of Eilat or Kiryat Shmona have to travel more easily on Saturdays than those of Ra’anana or Hod Hasharon? The light rail is a sign of normalcy and progress, and all of a sudden, we are moving backward. It's incomprehensible." 

Haifa Municipality spokesman Eliran Tal said, "Haifa, for example, is a model of respect for the other. Since the establishment of the state, the status quo has been maintained. 

"Even when the religious and ultra-Orthodox parties sit in the coalition, they accept this pattern," Tal continued. "Haifa remains a beacon of tolerance and common sense, and I wish other cities would adopt this model." 

Not operating public transportation on Shabbat in the rest of the country is costly for the population. The elderly, young people without a license or people without a car are at a severe disadvantage, for example, in getting to the hospital or the police station.

It also hurts the economy and, from an environmental point of view, it is a disaster as cars run in higher amounts during the weekends.

"There are traffic jams every hour of the day, a lot of air pollution, a lack of parking and a lot of general frustration. The coming of the light rail is an opportunity to change the rules of the game," Dr. Guy Shani, a senior lecturer in the School of Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Psychology in the College of Management's Academic Track, said. 

Last month, Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli asked NTA, the company in charge of public transportation systems, to evaluate the possibility of operating the Tel Aviv light rail on Shabbat, which would ease traffic congestion and bring serenity to a large part of the population. 

But for the moment, the debate goes on.