The Jerusalem municipality has granted Shapir Incorporated permission to build a new movie theater in the city – on the condition that the theater remain closed during the Sabbath.
Deputy Mayor David Hadari, of the Jewish Home (formerly NRP) party, was the first to suggest that the theater's construction be conditioned on the company's readiness to respect the Sabbath. His idea aroused a passionate debate in the city council, where some council members threatened to leave the coalition if Hadari's proposal were to pass.
The proposal ultimately passed despite three votes against and two abstentions.
The theater is to be built in the Shapir mall at the entrance to the city. The company had built a parking garage with space for 1,800 vehicles, but found that demand for the facility was low.
Fearing that they would lose money and therefore their permit to lease the site from the municipality, Shapir managers suggested making new use of the space by creating an entertainment center complete with a movie theater.