All businesses should be allowed to open 7days a week. Those who want to open do so, those who wish to close do so. Those who wish to shop do so, those who do not wish to shop do so. One reservation only, a business causing any noise or disturbance must not be allowed.

Haifa is much more liberal than tel aviv.

This isn't from 'religious' or 'secular' philosophy but from the law? Ummm ... where in the f---- does the law come from - RELIGIOUS philosophy indeed! Very disappointed and knowing this I will never buy from small grocers ever again. Why are we being punished for living in the 21st century? Saturday is my only day off and I would like to be able to do my grocery shopping at Tif Tam without Supreme Court having a say in it.

The Supreme Court did NOT ask the Tel Aviv Municipality "to ensure that the AM:PM and Tiv Ta'am stores do not open on Saturdays". The court simply required the city to enforce the law, instead of ignoring it. The Court also told T.A. that if they don't like it, they should change the law. This is all about law-enforcement and law and order and has not that much to do with religion. The same Court demanded that Jerusalem hold a Gay Parade, even if it had to import gays from Tel Aviv. You guys didn't complain about that, did you?

State of Israel have nothing better to do. Democratic country? In your dreams...

Now we won't be able to work weekends, get a salary and will have to get benefits...form the gov't!

Stupid! oil companies dump oil, because it more expensive to properly dispose of oil, than the maximum fine for dumping it! simple math. right? i believe the max fine for opening on shabat is like what? 500 shekels! they make WAAAAY more profit than that! and there is no competition. of course on the high holidays, the law i think is like 10000 and they take away your business license! so they are definitely closed then! where i live, in Ramat Gan, no business is allowed to be open after midnight! you can sure bet AM:PM is! this is how the system was built! we wanted to be like america, congrats we got it! we are just like them where the big chains have power that the rest of us don't! good thing they haven't unleashed a walmart on us!

All those who feel the Torah is unknown let them move to the US and join the gentile groups. You can ignore everything you want.

Sure they want them closed on the Shabbat, but no for reasons of faith, meaning that it is forbidden to work on the Shabbat. They want them closed on the Shabbat because they are taking away their customers. Can this succeed? We will see.

Nitzan Horowitz shows up as a true "diplomat", haha. Against the store opening but IF ELECTED will try to change the law. So this way have we covered all the voters?Disgusting.

Israel is supposed to FINALLY become a Jewish state ALL businesses in the ENTIRE state MUST be closed on Shabbat including the government. Whoever doesn't like it, could move elsewhere.

radio??? tv????? parking/speeding tickets????

And what should be a problem with Walmart? Clean stores, good service, even better prices. p.s you are never going to be like "them" :-))

Is that OK with you, too?

אני חייב לעבוד בין 2 ל3 משמרות שישי/שבת בבית חולים. לא רק שהחוק לא מגן עליי, גם כל הפרימיטיבים שתומחים בחוק הזה לא מכבדים אותי ומתייחסים אלי כאילו אני המשרת שלהם. This really is about religion. We should have a 2 state solution: one state for primitive religious people who put religion over the respect of others and try to obstaculize progress, and one state for people who's mind is set for freedom, progress, and respect of others

No one is forcing religious people to shop on Saturday. People are free to decide for themselves. Tel Aviv is a free city and medevil religius superstitions have no place. They never miss a chance to shove religion down everyones throat, telling us now when we can go to the supermarket. The more laws they introduce the more people will rebel against it. This weekend i will make a point of shopping on Shabbat thats my answer to those who think they can enofrce their so calle life style on the citizens of Tel Aviv.

This is the most stupid decision these guys have ever taken. Great and thanks for ruling my life...

Revise the bylaw to require that every business must be closed at least 25 consecutive hours during the week. But let the owners chose which day to close: Friday, Saturday or Sunday. REGISTER IT WITH A SIGN ON THE DOOR (AND CITY HALL) AND ENFORCE IT! That way each store's workers are guaranteed one full day off each week, and it levels the field for small shops (often run by a single person or family) that must compete against larger chains.

It seems to me that Israel is becoming more and more religious. I feel for the secular people in that country.

Anyone who wants opens. Anyone who wants buys. That is the preferable solution. People have one and a half rest days during the week and they prefer to do their shopping then, or enjoy some leisure in the mall. But the law can't be cherry picked. If the small shops are forced to close then so should the malls and big chains. Perhaps this greater economic and social pressure would bring more effort to lift the ban altogether, but until then this is justice, even if it's bitter.

Lousy wages and no social conditions.

This is absolutely a religious vs. secular issue, despite the fact that this comes from the supreme court. This is yet another glaring reason why there needs to be FULL separation of religion from state! And for the socialists and communists like Heinin and Horowitz who claim this law protects laborers- the State has labor laws and does not need religious "Taliban" religious police to close businesses to ensure workers get a day of rest. This whole scenario is absurd, as is most of the political discussions in the country. I wish Israel had a Libertarian Party that limited an increasingly bloated government encroaching on citizens' rights!

It's interesting to note that no-one has mentioned the very negative effect such a move would have on tourism. Presumably most intelligent people are in favour of tourism but if tourists staying in hotels in Tel Aviv and other cities can't make minor purchases on Friday evenings and Saturdays then they won't come here because it would be inconvenient. As it is hotels in Israel are way overpriced and this would just add fuel to the fire - Israel is by no means the only place around here with sunny beaches. If they close the ampamim, then we know what's coming next - cinemas, restaurants, petrol stations....and every Saturday will be like Yom Kippur. That's what they want - don't give it to them.

Free country. Employees can look for other jobs. I'm sure that if Walmart going to open stores in IL, you'll be the first ones in line to shop there.:-)) p.s. Speaking about low wages, workers in "super" something in Israel make way less and you still shop there with no complains.