Will Israelis finally get Sundays off?
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon backs proposal intended to be implemented over a period of 3 years; benefits include more quality time with children and better synchonization with the global economy.
The benefits of a long weekend include improved quality of life, a significant expansion of leisure culture, more quality time with the children, strengthening familial bonds, reducing worker burnout, better synchronization with the global economy, strengthening of trade, tourism and services and increasing the participation in cultural and sports events among the traditional and religious population.
The proposal is intended to be implemented over three years, and during that period the extension of this long weekend for the entire year will be examined. The missing work hours will be spread out over the week, or over the entire month.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon will submit the proposal to the ministerial committee in two weeks time so that the proposal can receive support from the government. Kahlon even announced that he will appoint a senior Finance Ministry official to formulate the budgetary items of the bill.
The proposal will be discussed at the opening of the summer session towards the end of the month. The goal is to begin implementing the program, which will also include the educational institutions, in the coming months.
MK Eli Cohen stated, "I am convinced that we will have a majority in the Knesset and that Sunday will be a day off once a month in Israel.” Similar proposals had previously failed in Israel as they sought to make every Sunday a day off. Meanwhile the current proposal has the support of the Histadrut and the manufacturers.
The normal workweek in the world today is 40 hours, while in Israel it stands at 42.5 hours. The rest days in most of the world’s countries are Saturday and Sunday. This is true in all countries of the Christian world, and in most countries in Asia and the Far East, and even in some Muslim countries (such as Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia, Tunisia, Pakistan and Malaysia).
