Ultra-Orthodox complaint sees Ethiopian J’lem restaurant shut on Shabbat
Municipality issues apology for 'human error' to restaurant after inspectors arrive to shut it down in capital on weekend despite having permission to continue operations.
An Ethiopian restaurant in Jerusalem was closed by municipal inspectors on Saturday after a complaint was received from ultra-Orthodox residents against the establishment being open on Shabbat.
Shortly after the closure, the restaurant's owners decided to reopen the place but the move was met with a protest from a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside.
Several secular residents of the neighborhood chased the demonstrators away.
The issue of businesses running on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, has for years divided religious and secular Israelis.
Many religious people argue that the closure of businesses maintains the Jewish character of the state while many secular people complain that it encroaches on their rights and causes serious inconveniences on the weekend.
The ultra-Orthodox activists arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes before the beginning of Shabbat, by which time most restaurants and other businesses in the capital city have usually closed.
Accompanied by inspectors, the protesters demanded the place be closed. Choosing not to confront the crowds, the owners of the restaurant left with the diners, and the inspectors locked the restaurant.
In response, a group of secularists, who advocate a more pluralistic governance in Jerusalem, came to protest against the closure.
Yishai Pulvermacher, who is opposed to the closure of business on Saturday, condemned the municipality’s decision to shut down the restaurant.
"This is a selective enforcement of the law against a small place run by members of the Ethiopian community. It does not bother anyone," Pulvermacher argued.
"We have come to support restaurants that are open on Shabbat," said Ilya Lipzker, chairman of the Jerusalem Our Home party—which is competing for a seat on the city council.
“There are restaurants and bars open with a permit. On Sunday we will appeal to the mayor and emphasize that inspectors can not do whatever they want. We will also examine legal options,” he exclaimed.
Laura Wharton, member of Jerusalem's City Council as a representative of the left-wing Meretz party, sent a letter to the municipal supervisor and the city's director general demanding that a clarification be given explaining the reasons for the selective enforcement of the law and how the municipal inspectors appear to have become the executive arm of the ultra-Orthodox.
"I strongly condemn the campaign against the restaurants that are open on Shabbat, because the city belongs to everyone, even to the public that wants to go out on Shabbat," she vented.
Einav Bar, deputy chairman of the Hitorerut (Awakening) faction in Jerusalem, who was active in the struggle against the closure of businesses on Shabbat, appealed to the municipal enforcement department with a request for an explanation regarding the illegal closure.
The municipality of Jerusalem issued an official response, calling the incident an "error."
"This is a human error, and we apologize for that. According to the law and the status quo there are open restaurants on Shabbat in Jerusalem and there is no change in this policy," the statement noted.
