Tel Aviv suburb says it’ll defy order to shut new mall on Shabbat amid Haredi threats
Ultra-Orthodox vow boycott of all chains operating in new BIG fashion mall in Ramat Hasharon if it opens on Jewish rest day; Lapid: ‘Stop interfering in lives of secular people’
The Ramat Hasharon municipality in central Israel said Wednesday that it would not enforce orders to shut the new BIG Fashion Glilot mall on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath, despite a ruling from its own legal adviser and threats from the ultra-Orthodox community to boycott chains in the mall.
Mayor Yitzhak Rochberger declared that the largely secular city, just north of Tel Aviv, would not impose fines on stores that decide to stay open.
“Ramat Hasharon is a free city that respects the lifestyles of all its residents,” Rochberger said, adding that his administration intended to take steps to allow the mall to remain open and to “promote a policy document to protect the right of all its residents to live their lives according to their own path and faith.”
The conflict came after city legal adviser Micha Blum wrote in a letter that municipal inspectors must enforce the law and will be empowered to fine businesses at the mall this coming weekend.
The ruling drew outrage from secular politicians.
“There is no need to close BIG in Ramat Hasharon on Shabbat, just like there is no need to open a shopping mall in Bnei Brak on Shabbat,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid posted on X, referring to the nearby ultra-Orthodox city.
“Live and let live. Stop interfering in the lives of secular people, there is no reason in the world to close the complex on Shabbat,” Lapid said.
However, Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur, a member of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, threatened to step in and ensure that Shabbat laws were enforced.
“Labor laws in the State of Israel are not a recommendation, they are a civil obligation to preserve the rights of workers. The Working Hours and Rest Law in the State of Israel clearly states that it is strictly forbidden to employ Jewish workers on Shabbat without a special permit,” Ben-Tzur said.
“I will not let monopolies exploit workers from disadvantaged populations in violation of the law. Accordingly, the Enforcement Division at the Ministry of Labor has increased enforcement. As Minister of Labor, my policy is clear and firm. In the Jewish state, neither the Sabbath nor the rights of workers will be trampled underfoot,” he said.
The opening of the mall caused an outcry in the ultra-Orthodox community.
Last week, ultra-Orthodox leaders published a letter slamming “the unprecedented” move and calling it “a public trampling of the sanctity of the Shabbat.”
The letter by members of the Council of Torah Sages called on the ultra-Orthodox public to boycott the mall and all branches of all chains operating inside.
In response, BIG accused the ultra-Orthodox community of trying to stifle religious freedom and quipped that their energies would be better spent signing up for service in the IDF during this time of war.
“We respect all opinions, we do not require tenants to open on Shabbat, we do not require customers to arrive on Shabbat, and we certainly do not require employees to work on Shabbat. In our opinion, in the State of Israel, every resident should have the right to choose what they do and what they do not do, and we will never give in to any threat stemming from religious matters for one reason or another,” BIG said.
“Unlike the great Torah scholars, we respect religion and freedom of choice, but we firmly oppose religious coercion. And on a cynical note in the spirit of the times — it would be better if you enlisted to participate in Israel’s wars,” the statement said, referencing the ongoing campaign of the Haredi community to secure sweeping draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox youths.
The issue of facilities like shopping, entertainment and public transport working on Shabbat has long been a source of tension in Israel between the ultra-Orthodox who hold that as a Jewish State, there should be no activities that violate the Sabbath, and secular residents who chafe at at restrictions on what for many is their only day off each week.
The Times of Israel Community.