Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is promoting a plan to change the status quo in the capital, including closing eight convenience stores in the center of the city on the Sabbath, Army Radio exposed.
Some of the secular council members claimed that the move was a “Compensation package” for the city’s haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population, following the opening of the “Yes Planet” movie theatre on Saturdays.
Jerusalem’s municipality announced that “There is no change to the status quo in Jerusalem. Movie theatres, leisure sites and restaurants are allowed to open in the city on the Sabbath, while commercial businesses and public transportation are forbidden from opening.”