Meir Porush
Meir PorushYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

For the first time since the establishment of the state of Israel, the city of Tel Aviv launched a public transportation project on Shabbat.

The project is an initiative that connects cities on Shabbat on several routes operating at different frequencies. The cities participating are Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Kiryat Ono and Ramat Hasharon.

Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) responded by saying that the issue of the Sabbath is being abused by local authorities due to the political crisis.

"The Sabbath is an inalienable asset of the Jewish people throughout the ages and is not anybody’s political tool. It hurts that local politicians are taking advantage of the national political situation and trampling the Sabbath in the public domain only to achieve public relations on the backs of Sabbath observant public," he said.

A few weeks ago, the Tel Aviv Municipal Finance Committee decided to approve a budget that will allow the public transportation system to operate for free on Shabbat by the end of the year. The project was budgeted at 12.5 million shekels a year.