Extremist Haredim vow to renew Shabbat battle against Intel
More radical factions unsatisfied with company's pledge to employ only non-Jews on weekends.
By Yair Ettinger Tags: Israel newsThe agreements reached this week between Intel and the Committee of Rabbis for the Sanctity of Shabbat will not guarantee a calm Saturday around the factory on Har Hotzvim in Jerusalem.
Unlike the mainstream ultra-Orthodox factions, the extremist elements in the Haredi community began preparations Thursday to resume demonstrations near the Intel facility because of the company's intentions to run the factory seven days a week.
There were no reports last night that the Haredi leader, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, had approved the agreement reached by the Committee of Rabbis with the Intel management.
Earlier in the week, the company had agreed to only allow production at the factory over the weekend with non-Jewish workers.
Haaretz learned that the Committee of Rabbis encountered difficulties in gaining the approval of senior figures in the community, including Elyashiv, mostly because of the rabbis' concern that Jews would continue to be employed in the factory on Shabbat.
Another concern was that Elyashiv is afraid of setting a precedent in which factories will be permitted to operate on Shabbat, even if the employees are not Jewish.
Committee sources said Thursday that despite the difficulties, the agreement would be approved and the targeting of Intel would cease.
However, the more radical factions are not convinced and preparations are underway to continue demonstrations over the weekend.
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Haredi protestors outside the Intel facility in Jerusalem. |
| Photo by: (Emil Salman) |
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Maybe it's time to drop welfare for able bodied haredim and who seek to undermine the State.
But there actually is no prohibition preventing non-Jews from working on Saturday.
... Shabbat leisure, organic food, education, especially for our children...all of which we pay for, generally not at the public's expense (unless we're Knesseth members or ministers or deputy-ministers or vice-ministers...) ... obviously, we also try to live-and-let-live, as may be seen in the way we generously contribute to funding for our observant brothers, in order to enable them to enjoy all that is dear to them... including Torah education ad infinitum, no age limit... (there's also that army thing, that the charedim just skip, at the expense of their less observant brothers and sisters...)
'Do leftists place anything - at all - above money?' Of course Binyamin - tolerance, human rights, freedom of religion and from religion, human dignity. Ever heard of such things? In what century do you live?
Our friend Binyamin Dissen needs a lesson in political history. "Leftists" valuing money above all and wishing to keep factories up and running 24/7?? It's a question of rule of law and governance in a democratic society. All we need is to go down the slope where hi tech flees, employment flees, because "religious" extremists hold sway. We'd truly be in Haredistan then and move Jerusalem back 100 years.
everyone should have the freedom and the right to practice their customs, religious beliefs, and forms of worship... UNTIL they infringe upon the rights and freedoms of others. the choices made by intel and it's employees are NOT for the haredim to make, and their protests are both infringement and intimidation...and they should NOT be tolerated.
Are there any values above money? Religious Jews place much above money - Shabbat, Kashrut, learning, etc. Do leftists place anything - at all - above money?
Is history repeating itself? The same logic would shut down the Israeli Electric Company and we could all enjoy Shabbat in the dark. From Wikipedia: Karaites interpret the biblical prohibition against kindling a fire on the Shabbat as prohibiting a fire from continuing to burn that was lit prior to the Shabbat. Historically Karaites refrained from utilizing or deriving benefit from light until the Sabbath ends, but modern Karaites use fluorescent light power hooked up to a battery that is turned on prior to Shabbat. Many observant Karaites either unplug their refrigerators on shabbat or turn off the circuit breakers. Purchasing electricity that is charged on an incremental basis during the Shabbat is viewed as a commercial transaction that the Tanakh prohibits. Theoretically these practices are not universal, since different readings of the scriptural Sabbath prohibitions could yield a variety of points of view.
The simplest solution is to treat the people who come out to demonstrate as though they were Palestinians. The demonstrations may not stop, but the numbers demonstrating will diminish rapidly.
... is not like weaving baskets. You don't have the luxury of shutting it down one day a week. Takes too long to get the processes back on track. G_d will understand on this one. Go back and fight the parking lot wars.
Is Israel going to become a 'Jewish Nation', or a 21st century one. Israel Elected Netanyahu. It made it's choice. See you in the 17th century with the lunatics you worship.
And the nation submits.