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Last update - 12:54 17/06/2008
Bowing to religious pressure, Tel Aviv supermarket chain agrees gradual Shabbat closure
By Nati Toker and Ophir Bar-Zohar
Tags: Shabbat, Tel Aviv 

The 24/7 grocery chain AM:PM will gradually close on Shabbat, to end the ultra-Orthodox boycott of the Alon business group, according to a proposal by owner Dudi Wiessman. However, no progress in negotiations has been noted since he tabled the proposal last week.

Wiessman commenced negotiations with some of the members of the rabbinical Committee for the Sanctity of Shabbat, which three months ago forbade observant Jews to "contract in business" with Wiessman. Last week Wiessman met in his offices with some members of the committee, and suggested that the offending AM:PM outlets be gradually closed down on Shabbat.

However, committee chairman Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf, who represents the Gur movement, was not present at the meeting. The Gur movement opposes any compromise with Wiessman, and no progress has been reported since the meeting.
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Meanwhile, Shefa Shuk, which belongs to the Blue Square chain, is also contending with an ultra-Orthodox boycott. This week its CEO, Zeev Vurembrand, slashed prices of several popular products for four days. The specials include three one-liter plastic bags of milk for NIS 10 instead of NIS 16.50, three packages of Pampers for NIS 150 instead of NIS 231, and more.
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  1.   Defeat 13:30  |  Noam 17/06/08
  2.   Haredi consumerism 13:31  |  Oded 17/06/08
  3.   Defeat 13:32  |  Noam 17/06/08
  4.   More religious blackmail 13:40  |  SJ 17/06/08
  5.   Serves the `liberals` right 13:57  |  Chanalau, Tova 17/06/08
  6.   Serves the `liberals` right 13:57  |  Chanalau, Tova 17/06/08
  7.   They are not Jews 14:18  |  Pablo Podgaezky 17/06/08
  8.   Open Haredi food shops? 14:28  |  Motic 17/06/08
  9.   Haredi Consumerism - response to # 3 14:29  |  Abe 17/06/08
  10.   fantastic news 14:34  |  Allon 17/06/08
  11.   to defeated Noam 14:56  |  another Jew 17/06/08
  12.   SECULAR BOYCOTT 15:00  |  SM 17/06/08
  13.   Secular militants.....read this 15:11  |  Jewish State 17/06/08
  14.   whatever the market will bear 15:18  |  PS 17/06/08
  15.   Misconceptions and free self-conscience 15:52  |  Leo 17/06/08
  16.   am pm boycott 15:53  |  chiloni 17/06/08
  17.   What`s it like living in a Theocracy? A Religious and Radical one 16:02  |  POP 17/06/08
  18.   Boycott 16:39  |  J 17/06/08
  19.   Two thumbs to #11 16:43  |  Asher 17/06/08
  20.   gush shalom 16:44  |  ron 17/06/08
  21.   What religious pressure? Wanna stay open? Don`t take the MONEY? 17:07  |  Yaakov K. 17/06/08
  22.   to #13 secular militants 17:10  |  Zoe 17/06/08
  23.   Long live the Religious people! 17:13  |  Hans 17/06/08
  24.   Money talks 17:25  |  Alex 17/06/08
  25.   definately boycott! 18:07  |  shery 17/06/08
  26.   The Mullahs win again 18:34  |  Daniel BegovArayot 17/06/08
  27.   I guess Israel-haters must love these Haredi 19:27  |  Mark B. 17/06/08
  28.   Secular Blackmail 19:45  |  Dave 17/06/08
  29.   shabbat kodesh 19:55  |  eli 17/06/08
  30.   Hamas meets Haredi Jews 20:06  |  secular Palestinian 17/06/08
  31.   To Dave #28 20:06  |  Northern 17/06/08
  32.   suckers!!! 20:21  |  eva 17/06/08
  33.   Congratulations 20:24  |  Concerned individual 17/06/08
  34.   Religious Pressure 20:54  |  Fredy Ross 17/06/08
  35.   LOSERS!!! 21:23  |  Butch 17/06/08
  36.   micro brains 21:56  |  J 17/06/08
  37.   Now I`ll Boycott AM/PM 22:00  |  MB 17/06/08
  38.   to quote president Sadat: 22:22  |  Jewboy 17/06/08
  39.   Howling minority 22:25  |  Jerusalemite 17/06/08
  40.   the cri de coeur of a vanishing minority 22:29  |  A thinking Jew 17/06/08
  41.   Wailing and the gnashing of teeth 22:35  |  Joanna 17/06/08
  42.   Jewish Taliban 23:35  |  CHW 17/06/08
  43.   Change of name? 00:00  |  Wassem 18/06/08
  44.   Tolerance 00:04  |  Jane 18/06/08
  45.   they are right 02:10  |  carlos 18/06/08
  46.   Should this article not be titled. . . 02:33  |  Mark Lincoln 18/06/08
  47.   BRilliant Business MEN 02:44  |  TOBIA 18/06/08
  48.   #40, thinking, calls this the last days of the secularists 03:18  |  newageblues 18/06/08
  49.   naturally the secularists complain about the free market 04:10  |  David G 18/06/08
  50.   reality is reality #46 even when it does not fit preconceptions. 08:06  |  A thinking Jew 18/06/08
  51.   a reminder about secular Boycotts 08:13  |  Joanna 18/06/08
  52.   to Jewish state: African Americans earn 08:54  |  Puhi 18/06/08
  53.   # 47 David G - the charideem have a monopoly on hate 09:31  |  SJ 18/06/08
  54.   The ironic humor of the secular posts. 11:01  |  just a Jew 18/06/08
  55.   the ironic humor of just a jew guy 11:55  |  Puhi 18/06/08
  56.   Alex in wonderland 11:57  |  sptz 18/06/08
  57.   DISHONESTY AT ITS BEST! 12:25  |  SPTZ 18/06/08
  58.   Jews and non-jews 12:58  |  sptz 18/06/08
  59.   winnie the phuha 13:24  |  just a Jew 18/06/08
  60.   puhi and hallucinogens. 13:31  |  An MD 18/06/08
  61.   gradual shabbat closure sounds like being partly pregnant 19:33  |  A thinking Jew 18/06/08
  62.   Shabbos violators are very brave 23:20  |  Yaakov 18/06/08
  63.   to just a jew; truth hearts buddy, isn`t it? 08:41  |  Puhi 19/06/08
  64.   we will manage without your Hashem, Yaakov 08:43  |  the pope 19/06/08
  65.   Maybe it`s time for unreligious pressure 11:54  |  Ulf 19/06/08
  66.   Response to Mr. Pope 23:23  |  Yaakov 19/06/08
  67.   phooey to puhi 23:39  |  Jewboy 19/06/08
  68.   puhi and the truth. yes it is close to my heart, not yours 23:44  |  just a Jew 19/06/08
  69.   Any ideas on how to collect taxes from the pope? 23:48  |  A thinking Jew 19/06/08
  70.   ulf ask the shopkeepers who they prefer as clients.... 23:49  |  Joanna 19/06/08
  71.   Another take on Shabbat opening 10:10  |  Zev Davis 20/06/08
  72.   Is Israel a democracy? 16:55  |  Manolo ME expert 20/06/08
  73.   Most democracies have a day off work-72 23:58  |  A thinking Jew