Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked buses from entering Jerusalem on Saturday in the latest demonstration against public transportation operating on Shabbat, or the Sabbath.
The protest, which began last Saturday, targeted Egged buses arriving in Jerusalem from northern Israel before the end of Shabbat. At least 13 buses were stranded and unable to enter the capital because of the blockade.
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Haredi protesters block buses from entering Jerusalem on Shabbat, stranding several vehicles at the city entrance
(Photo: Liran Tamari)
Between 30 and 50 protesters gathered on Weizmann Boulevard and completely blocked the entrance to Jerusalem from Highway 1, the main highway connecting the city with Tel Aviv and central Israel.
Several minutes passed after the blockade began before a single police vehicle arrived. It left a short time later without clearing the road. Protesters chanted, “The police ran away,” and continued blocking the entrance until they reopened it on their own after Shabbat ended Saturday evening.
The bus routes travel from northern Israel to Jerusalem every Saturday under a long-standing status quo arrangement and drop passengers off outside the city’s Central Bus Station. Public transportation on Shabbat remains a contentious issue in Israel, where most regular bus and train services do not operate during the weekly day of rest, though some routes and services operate under longstanding arrangements or local initiatives.
The protesters prevented the buses from reaching Jerusalem by placing barriers in the roadway. Private vehicles were able to maneuver around the blockade on the wide road, with protesters focusing specifically on buses operating on Shabbat.
Haredi protesters block buses from entering Jerusalem on Shabbat, stranding several vehicles at the city entrance
(Photo: Liran Tamari)
More than an hour after the blockade began, police said reinforcements were on their way.
“Additional forces are en route to disperse those disturbing the public order and restore traffic to normal,” police said. “Police are redirecting traffic at the entrance to the city to alternative routes.”
The additional forces, however, did not arrive to remove the protesters before the blockade ended.
The Jerusalem demonstration came alongside a similar dispute in Safed, a northern city where the central Egged Square has become a flashpoint over Shabbat transportation for more than two months.
Haredi protesters, including demonstrators from outside Safed, have gathered there every Saturday to protest public transportation operating on Shabbat. Nativ Express, which runs the routes in the city, has continued transporting soldiers and civilians under an arrangement that has been in place for years.
Containers block access to a Bnei Brak neighborhood before Shabbat, prompting residents to call police to reopen the road
Shabbat transportation protests have also spread to Bnei Brak, a predominantly Haredi city east of Tel Aviv.
Before Shabbat began Friday, containers were placed on a road leading to the city’s Mitcham HaSoferim neighborhood, which is also home to secular residents, blocking access to the area.
Neighborhood residents called police, saying they had effectively been trapped inside.
Police officers who arrived at the scene moved the containers and reopened the road to traffic. The truck driver who placed them was summoned for questioning on suspicion of endangering a traffic route.
The driver said he had carried out the work for the Bnei Brak municipality. The municipality denied ordering the containers to be placed on the road.