Chairman Haim Bibas of the Union of Local Authorities is protesting the decision of Interior Minister Aryeh Deri of the Sephardic haredi-religious Shas party to prevent the authorities from amending municipal bylaws which will allow them to open supermarkets on the Jewish Sabbath.
Bibas said, "This is an attempt by the interior minister to trade on the Sabbath in order to receive sectoral political capital. We will appeal to the Supreme Court on this matter in order to protect the residents of the State of Israel."