An educators’ group brought complaints to the Bnei Brak City Council on Monday over shops operating automatic food and drink vending machines throughout the night on central streets.
City administration member Ze’ev Lifshitz raised the issue, warning that the machines effectively bypass regulations requiring businesses to close at 23:00. He argued that their round-the-clock operation encourages unsupervised nighttime activity, causing both environmental disturbances for residents and what he described as “serious spiritual harm" to local youth.
Some attendees echoed these concerns. One rabbi said the machines were “ruining our children," claiming they attract teenagers late into the night. Other residents claimed the machines represented a danger to the city's health and quality of life, describing worsening sanitation, constant noise, and residents feeling unsafe in their homes after dark.
Mayor Hanoch Zeibert agrees and declared that any businesses failing to close at 23:00 would face stricter enforcement, including limits on their operating hours overall. The council unanimously approved increased enforcement measures.
Municipal inspectors began implementing the policy immediately, with shops operating the machines already being shut down at 23:00.