Education and Sport Minister Limor Livnat agrees that Israel should, in the future, ask the World Olympic Committee not to schedule sporting events involving Israelis on Saturdays (Sabbath).
Following the recent Olympics in Athens, MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) wrote a letter of protest to Livnat regarding the fact that the Israeli delegation was forced to desecrate the Sabbath on several occasions. These involved sporting competitions such as rowing, as well as a march by the delegation in one of the ceremonies. "These are grave incidents that shamed the State of the Jews," Porush wrote. "This is not the way a delegation of Israeli athletes should act in an international competition that draws the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world."
"In my opinion," MK Porush wrote, "if the organizing committee in Athens had known in advance that the Israeli delegation cannot take part in events on the Sabbath, and in consideration of the fact that Israeli athletes don't take part in all the events, it is likely that it would have changed the schedule on its own."
Minister Livnat responded, "I agree with you, and it is appropriate to ask the Organizing Committee in advance to be flexible in setting the timetable, out of sensitivity to the Israeli sportsmen... For the next Olympics, my ministry will do its best to guarantee the proper balance between the status quo regarding Israeli participation in international competitions and the need to take the sanctity of the Sabbath into account."
Arutz-7's Hillel Fendel notes that seeking the Olympic organizers' help in preserving the Sabbath represents an interesting historic twist. The Talmud records that the cultural-religious war waged by the Hellenist Greeks against Judaism concentrated on three of Judaism's most precious commandments: The Jewish calendar, circumcision - and the Sabbath.
Following the recent Olympics in Athens, MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) wrote a letter of protest to Livnat regarding the fact that the Israeli delegation was forced to desecrate the Sabbath on several occasions. These involved sporting competitions such as rowing, as well as a march by the delegation in one of the ceremonies. "These are grave incidents that shamed the State of the Jews," Porush wrote. "This is not the way a delegation of Israeli athletes should act in an international competition that draws the attention of hundreds of millions of people around the world."
"In my opinion," MK Porush wrote, "if the organizing committee in Athens had known in advance that the Israeli delegation cannot take part in events on the Sabbath, and in consideration of the fact that Israeli athletes don't take part in all the events, it is likely that it would have changed the schedule on its own."
Minister Livnat responded, "I agree with you, and it is appropriate to ask the Organizing Committee in advance to be flexible in setting the timetable, out of sensitivity to the Israeli sportsmen... For the next Olympics, my ministry will do its best to guarantee the proper balance between the status quo regarding Israeli participation in international competitions and the need to take the sanctity of the Sabbath into account."
Arutz-7's Hillel Fendel notes that seeking the Olympic organizers' help in preserving the Sabbath represents an interesting historic twist. The Talmud records that the cultural-religious war waged by the Hellenist Greeks against Judaism concentrated on three of Judaism's most precious commandments: The Jewish calendar, circumcision - and the Sabbath.