Yes Planet complex to be built in Jerusalem
New movie theater facility in capital expected to be completed by 2015, will remain open on Saturday, unlike existing Cinema City.
A ceremony announcing the establishment of a cinema complex in Jerusalem was held Sunday morning at the center's future grounds, between Jaffa Gate and Sherover Promenade. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Nir Barkat, Yes Planet CEO Mooky Greidinger and Sherover Foundation chairman Uzi Wexler.
Unlike the Cinema City compound in the capital, the Yes Planet complex will be open throughout the entire week. However, the new complex will include restaurants that will remain closed on Saturday, as to enable the religious community to visit the center during weekdays.
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- Don't touch our Shabbat
Commenting on requests to open the existing Cinema City compound in the city on Saturday, Mayor Barkat said "we need to look at the complexes in Jerusalem from a broad perspective. We work within the status quo and law. The new complex is privately-owned and the entrepreneurs (behind the facility) decided that it will be open on Saturday."
The complex, with a projected cost of NIS 150 million, is expected to open in the second of half of 2015. The facility spans approximately 28,500 square feet, and will have six floors with 16 theaters, including four multipurpose auditoriums.
The complex will also include cafes, restaurants, and book and music stores. It will also have a three-level parking garage with 400 spaces, as well as a nearby parking lot.
Shabbat Debate
The nature of Shabbat is a heated subject of debate in the Israeli society – is it a regular vacation day or should the Jewish state give it a different touch? Should shopping centers be open? Must everyone not work on Shabbat of all days? And what about public transportation?
Dozens of Jerusalem residents held protests last year against the municipality's agreement which stated that the Cinema City compound, located at Jerusalem's International Convention Center parking lot, will be closed on Saturday.
Residents and activists from various groups, including Awakening, Meretz and Be Free Israel, protested the decision, asking that the wishes of secular residents be taken into account. "For years we have lived in a city that refuses to recognize and accommodate our needs," said Eyal Ackerman, one of the rally's organizers. "This is a struggle for the right to live in this city and its future."
