Litzman
Photo: Daniel Elior
Litzman: If solution is not found for train Shabbat works, I'll resign
In interview with Ynet, UTJ leader says his threat to quit if weekend train maintenance work continues was serious; 'It is no secret the Haredi parties are angry over the train works, and we've dealt with it quite a few times in the past and it keeps going back to the same point,' he says.
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) said Sunday he would resign if a permanent solution is not found to prevent train maintenance work on Shabbat.
After setting an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and threatening to resign, Litzman allowed infrastructural work on the Dimona-Be'er Sheva line to go ahead as planned this past weekend after being assured by Labor and Welfare Minister Haim Katz that no Jewish workers would be carrying out the work.
"This can't be a permanent solution. If I can't live with the solution, I will quit," Litzman told Ynet in an interview.
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
Not for the first time, work planned to be carried out on the trains on Shabbat has threatened to derail Netanyahu’s coalition, with ultra-Orthodox parties sporadically holding its stability hostage to the prime minister’s compliance with its demands.
At the end of last year, the ultra-Orthodox parties gave a similar ultimatum that threatened to disband the government over train maintenance work that was scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv on Shabbat, presaging a series of fiery government discussions on the matter.
"The threat was serious," Litzman claimed on Sunday. "I informed the prime minister in an unequivocal manner on Thursday that if train work is done on the Dimona-Be'er Sehva line (on Shabbat), I would resign."
"It is no secret that we in the Haredi parties are angry over the train works, and we've talked about it and dealt with it quite a few times in the past and it keeps going back to the same point," he said.
"So I decided that this was it, we're done, enough is enough. Either they treat us as serious partners (in the coalition), or they can do whatever they want," Litzman continued.
Train construction work done on Shabbat (Photo: Ofer Meir)
The UTJ chairman said he intends to meet this week with Netanyahu, along with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) and MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ), "to talk to him and straighten out all of the problems with the train. I'm not willing to carry on with the train desecrating the Shabbat."
On Wednesday, Litzman's office received routine notice from the Israel Railways that infrastructural works would be carried out during the weekend.
Litzman spoke to Netanyahu's chief of staff, telling him this was unacceptable, particularly in light of the fact repeated promises have been made in recent weeks that train works on Shabbat would be halted completely. Litzman also said he would not vote at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in protest.
After the matter was reported in the ultra-Orthodox media, Liztman sought counsel from the Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, Yaakov Aryeh Alter. Following his conversation with Alter, Litzman called Netanyahu and made his ultimatum.
