Ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in Ashdod, Deputy Mayor Shimon Katznelson is working to restart the "Shabbat bus" in the city.
Jewish law forbids travel on Shabbat, other than for the purpose of saving a life.
According to a report in one of the local news sites, political ads for Katznelson are displayed on the bus, and his activists can be seen distributing the bus schedule and route maps in the city's commercial centers.
"This represents private entrepreneurs, who wanted to advance cooperative transit for the benefit of the residents, and I connected the initiative with the city of Ashdod and presented to them the residents' needs," Katznelson said.
"I am paying for it out of my own pocket - just like every other advertisement during the elections period."
He added, "My activities are for the benefit of the city's population and not against anyone - I insisted that the bus pass through the obviously secular neighborhoods, which need this service, and pass through areas which are open under the municipal status quo. The service is free. We see similar initiatives all around the country, and there is no reason that cooperative transit should not operate in our city as well, if there is a demand for it."
Meanwhile, haredi sources in the city responded, "If we were looking for examples - here is the trailer."
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Hitorerut movement in Jerusalem will operate buses on Shabbat (the Sabbath) throughout the city.
In a Facebook post announcing the initiative, Hitorerut wrote, "We do not want to live in a city which young people leave, and we also don't want to live in a city which is closed to everyone on weekends."
Concluding the post, the movement added, "Public transportation on Sofshabbat (a made-up slang meaning "weekend" -ed.) is also a way to say that there is also a public which does not observe Shabbat, and really wants to remain Jerusalemite. And to live here. Whoever wants a Jerusalem with a Zionist character, a Jew needs to gather his courage. Only this way will we all finally have a 'Shabbat shalom.'"