UTJ demands Netanyahu rebuke Lieberman over Shabbat mall visit
Following Yisrael Beytenu leader's support for businesses open on Jewish day of rest in southern city of Ashdod, Haredi party's three factions issue unusual joint statement calling on prime minister to 'immediately call the defense minister to order for deepening the schism and the public rift while publicly undermining the sanctity of Shabbat.'
According to a joint statement issued by the party's different factions, which was published in its three mouthpieces, "The United Torah Judaism faction calls on Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately call the defense minister to order for deepening the schism and the public rift while publicly undermining the sanctity of Shabbat.
"This is a serious and unprecedented act, which was done intentionally while informing the media in advance, with the clear goal of inciting and slandering the entire religious and Haredi public in Israel and trampling the holy day," the statement added.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Sunday he would hold talks with Deri and Lieberman in order to calm the situation.
The UTJ party said the Yisrael Beytenu leader's attack on the Haredim was driven by pure political considerations. "Lieberman himself knows that the purpose of the Supermarkets Law is to maintain the status quo which has existed for years, yet he chooses to incite and fan the flames, creating unnecessary tensions between the different parts of the public and trampling Shabbat and its sanctity.
"Lieberman's behavior points to serious political distress, as he is competing for votes of hatred with another party of hatred and aiming to gain a political profit as a result of inciting one group of the population against another and deepening the polarization among the people."
During his visit to Ashdod to support the struggle of the city's secular population against what they consider religion coercion and to support businesses open on Shabbat, Lieberman said that Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Safed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner would be barred from attending official IDF events due to their attacks on the army's Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
"I've instructed the army that not Israel's chief rabbi (Yosef), Rabbi Aviner or Rabbi Eliyahu can take part in any event in the IDF," the defense minister said. "It's unreasonable to attack the IDF, to speak against service, and then still participate in military events."
During his visit to the Big shopping center, Lieberman also came out against new legislation that allows the interior minister to close stores on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest.
"Those who say the Supermarkets Law has no meaning are mistaken and misleading. The Supermarkets Law unfortunately has far-reaching consequences, as we're seeing in Ashdod. Until recently, there was harmony in Ashdod, and now the city is divided. I hope it doesn't happen in other cities," the defense minister said.
"This division undermines our national resilience. This entire thing is creating unnecessary tension and friction. The last thing we want is to see a divided Israeli society. I hope both the heads of the religious-Zionist public, and those of the Haredi public, will calm down," he added.
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri retaliated with scathing criticism of the Yisrael Beytenu minister.
"I'm done with Avigdor Lieberman," Deri told confidants Saturday evening. "He has trampled Shabbat without care and crossed every conceivable line, something even Lapid the Elder (referring to Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid's father Tommy, who famously clashed with Shas—ed), one of the greatest apostates, did not dare do. Some things go well beyond personal friendships."
On Saturday evening, Yair Lapid attended a protest in Ashdod in support of residents' struggle against ramped up enforcement of business closures on Shabbat. Mirroring last week's turnout, some 2,500 residents arrived at city hall to protest what they called preferential treatment for the city's Haredi population.
"We're here because the deplorable Supermarket Law has to go," Lapid told protesters. "And if we win the next elections, we'll cancel it because Haredi coercion cannot prevail. They set the tone for Israel's majority.
"We don't need Shabbat for everyone and don't need a divided Shabbat. We're here to back up the people of Ashdod. Anyone who denigrates the country, its army or the chief of staff, cannot preach morality to IDF soldiers."
Ashdod residents protested closures of businesses on Shabbat and levying of fines on stores in the Big Fashion shopping complex. Protesters further maintained that the municipality was also discriminating against the secular public in areas of construction and education.
During the protest, signs were displayed saying, "This is not the Middle Ages", "We're here to return Ashdod to the Ashdodites" and "A free Ashdod against religious coercion."
