Cinema City Jerusalem
Cinema City JerusalemSivan Pereg

Yosef Habilio, a well-known secular activist in Jerusalem, is demanding that the High Court yank the license from the current management of Jerusalem's Cinema City theater complex in the city, because they refuse to open on Shabbat. The management announced Sunday that they would keep the compound closed on Shabbat, and according to Habilio, the decision smacks of “fraud.”

I totally reject the notice by Cinema City that it is closing on Shabbat,” said Habilio. “They are cheating the High Court and the public. We are suing the developers because they promised to keep the theaters open on Shabbat as a condition for receiving the license to operate the theater. They are not only violating agreements but disrespecting the High Court.

I call on all Jerusalemites to boycott Cinema City during the week as well,” said Habilio.

Cinema City said Sunday that it would remain closed on Saturdays from now on in response to a laweuit by the Hit'orerut organization that it operate on the day of rest.

In actuality, most of the theaters have not operated on Shabbat since the complex was opened in 2010, mostly due to pressure from the Jerusalem municipality. The operators of the theater have until now contended that they wished to open the site on Shabbat, but were prevented from doing so by the city.

According to Hit'orerut, the operators were granted the license to build and operate the theaters on condition that they keep them open on Shabbat. Representing Hit'orerut, Habilio filed a motion that claimed that the operators had “insulted” the court by refusing to open on Shabbat, even if it was the city's doing. In a statement to the court Sunday, the management said that after considering the matter, it was changing its position and now would keep the site closed on Shabbat of its own accord.