last week there was a, I thought funny, altercation between some Israelis on Facebook and Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz. Some people went on the offensive demanding public transportation on Shabbos and directly attacked Katz on the matter. Katz brushed them off saying it has been the status quo since the foundation of the State, not something he is responsible for though he has no intention to change it. He add that they should go complain to Herzog about public transportation on Shabbos. There was some childish back and forth, and obviously a post or two on Facebook is not going to change government policy.
Now, a petition is circulating to not allow government ministers to drive in their government-allocated automobiles on Shabbos, as long as there is no public transportation on Shabbos. These vehicles are funded by taxpayer money, so just like buses and trains cannot be operated on Shabbos, neither should these vehicles.
I guess these cars are just as much "public transportation", on a smaller scale, as a bus and a train, by their argument.
What do you think? should it be considered private use or public transportation?
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Except for one town idiot that thought he could bring 'new government', I think it is a nice tradition that the Israeli government rests on Shabbat. I hope the petition works and the ministers do in fact respect to have their government cars rest on Shabbt.
ReplyDeleteJosh - should it also be that way for Ministers in general, because they are public people representative of the government? meaning, even in their own private cars they should not be mechalel shabbos or only in government-issued cars?
ReplyDeleteI am not saying what anyone 'should' do and not proposing that the MKs should be forced to keep Shabbat (against their beliefs (most are not religious), but merely that it is nice that the government would in fact keep tradition in the public eye and in general - like when world events happen on Saturday or holidays, the representatives either do not show up or walk to the event. It would be nice to be 'traditional' at home as well. But in this specific case, perhaps the government could decide to show support against Shabbat public transit by voluntarily reduce use of their official cars on Shabbat as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone gets a "company car" sometimes the idea is they should only use it to get to & from work, and of course they have a recreational vehicle. Nowadays the employees are responsible for enough taxes on the vehicle that such a policy doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteIf a "Knesset car" is a perk to have a luxury car provided for by the State, so that an MK doesn't have to maintain his own, then it has the status of his private car - just as you wouldn't legislate that he cannot use his salary at a restaurant without hashgacha. If however the Knesset car is for government business, then it shouldn't be used for recreation any other time. The issue of Shabbat doesn't really factor in as I see it.
Israeli diplomats are not reimbursed for business meals in non kosher restaurants. (I assume this restriction is still in effect. The roundabout is to pay out of pocket, use non governmental funds, i.e., donated off budget, have the other party pay, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI think this is a similarcase.