The Tel Aviv Labor Court under Judge Hagit Sagi convicted Aloniel Ltd, which owns the Israel franchise of fast food chain McDonald's, of illegally employing a youth during Sabbath, the weekly day of rest. McDonald's was fined NIS 30,000 and will be made to pay another NIS 52,000 if it repeats its offense in the next three years.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MoITL) filed a complaint against Aloniel in 2003, after its inspectors found that McDonald's was employing a Jewish youth in Rishon LeTzion on a Saturday, in contravention of the Youth Employment Law, which forbids employment of Jewish youths on the Sabbath.

The court noted in its verdict that the defendant company chose to conduct a protracted process of proof and submitted numerous requests to the court, most of which were denied.

The prosecuting attorney for the MoITL, Attorney Gali Levy, asked the court to fine the McDonald's franchise for the maximum amount permissible in view of the fact that it did not claim that it had ceased to employ youths illegally. She also noted that this was not the first time that McDonalds was convicted of the same offense.