Hundreds protest at Tel Aviv light rail stations because train won’t run on Shabbat
Demanding ‘freedom of movement, even on the Sabbath,’ some demonstrators handcuff themselves inside final train of new line’s first day of operation, in failed bid to keep it open
Hundreds of anti-government activists converged on stations of the new Tel Aviv light rail on Friday to protest the government’s refusal to operate the public transportation system on the Sabbath.
Protesters camped out at the entrances of several stations and dozens boarded some of the last trains of the day.
A handful of them handcuffed themselves to the handrails — many with fuzzy pink restraints — to try and remain on the train until the Sabbath.
In response, the operator shut down the train at Tel Aviv’s Elifelet station — forgoing final stops in Bat Yam — and turned off the air conditioning.
Activists stood their ground for more than two hours before peacefully dispersing.
One activist was filmed being forcefully arrested by police after tossing popsicles to demonstrators at a Tel Aviv station. Officers pushed him to the ground before dragging him away in a chokehold.
The light rail, which carries passengers 24 kilometers (15 miles) across 34 stations from Bat Yam to Petah Tikva, opened to the public early Friday morning after decades of planning and years of construction. Hebrew media reported that 100,000 people used the transit system on its first day in action.
The new train system is a welcome development for residents of the Tel Aviv metropolitan era, but it also reignites simmering frustration over the lack of public transportation on Shabbat. Secular residents, who make up the majority in the area, argue that such services should be available to them, without harming the sensitivities of religious Israelis who refrain from their use on the Sabbath.
Successive Israeli governments have upheld the so-called status quo barring public transportation from operating on Shabbat.
Transport Minister Miri Regev’s predecessor, Merav Michaeli, had promised that the line would run on Friday evenings and all day Saturday — a rarity in a country where public transportation does not operate on Shabbat. (An exception is in Haifa, which has a large Arab population.)
Michaeli’s promise prompted outrage in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak, which has several stops on its route. Earlier this month, Regev announced that she was reversing Michaeli’s decision.
“We will uphold the status quo, according to which the train will not operate on Shabbat. For non-religious people, Shabbat is also a day of rest. And this is a Jewish state,” Regev told journalists on Wednesday.
When Regev arrived at one of the stations earlier in the day, the activists sought to disrupt the visit, chanting, “Freedom of movement — even on the Sabbath.”
Regev reiterated her stance on Friday, telling Channel 12, “Israel is a Jewish state. We preserve the status quo. I don’t understand what they are protesting about.”
אחרי כיבוי הרכבת והמזגן, המפגינים התארגנו די מהר על מניפות. אחד מקציני המשטרה נכנס לדבר עם המפגינים שאזקו את עצמם ושאר הכוחות נערכים מחוץ לרכבת pic.twitter.com/SJdJ5BBnLp
— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) August 18, 2023
While Friday’s protest focused on the specific issue of the light rail’s operating schedule, it was attended by activists who oppose the government more broadly, particularly its judicial overhaul, and represent a long-dormant liberal Israeli public that has become increasingly frustrated with the monopoly that Orthodox groups have on the country’s Jewish identity.
The protest was organized by the Pinkfront pro-democracy group, which promotes liberal values and gender equality.
“A liberal country serves all of its citizens. No one will tell us where to sit, no one will take away our freedom of movement on Shabbat, no one will silence us. The liberal public in Israel wants to live freely, including on the weekends. We want equality without coercion,” Pinkfront said in a statement, pledging to hold such protests every Friday.
As it stands, the line will cease operating three hours before Shabbat and only operate for 45 minutes on Saturday evenings, a shorter period than Jerusalem operates its light-rail system.
המפגינים מסרבים לרדת מהרכבת שהגיעה לתחנת אליפלט, התחנה האחרונה של הרכבת הזו לפני שתדומם מנועים בשבת pic.twitter.com/A4Y33NMqjH
— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) August 18, 2023
Traveling into the center of the city from either of the terminuses of the train line can take up to an hour by bus. Driving by car, which not all Israelis can do, comes with a hefty price tag for parking — if a spot can even be found. Now, it will take just minutes to traverse the same distance. Areas served by the new train line are expected to become more desirable for people seeking to beat the city’s high rents.
