Activists from the secular left-wing Meretz Party began running a free bus service between Hod HaSharon and Kfar Sava last Shabbat, bringing passengers to and from shopping centers in the the two largely secular Israeli towns. The secular party reportedly plans to continue running the free service for at least the rest of summer, and also plans to run two additional routes – one from Kfar Sava and Ra’anana into central Tel Aviv, and the another one to the Herzliya beach – as well.
Secular Political Party Starts Free Public Bus Service – On Shabbat Only
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Activists from the secular left-wing Meretz Party began running a free bus service between Hod HaSharon and Kfar Sava last Shabbat, Arutz Sheva reported, bringing passengers to and from shopping centers in the the two largely secular Israeli towns. The secular party reportedly plans to continue running the free service for at least the rest of summer, and also plans to run two additional routes – one from Kfar Sava and Ra’anana into central Tel Aviv, and the another one to the Herzliya beach – as well.
Meretz has run free Shabbat buses in the past but has not as of yet established year-round weekly service.
The buses are part protest against the unpopular (among secular Israelis) civil Shabbat laws, which currently ban most public transportation on Shabbat; part demonstration of demand so those unpopular civil laws can be overturned in Knesset; and part good grassroots politics for the Meretz base.
Meretz Member of Knesset Nitan Horowitz is proposing a law to end the ban on public Shabbat buses. The law is reportedly based on the idea that banning public transportation on Shabbat violates Israel’s Basic Law on freedom of commerce.
Horowitz plans to file the law for approval by the Ministerial Law Committee, which reportedly is not expected to approve the bill.
A Sefardi haredi Shas Party member of the Kfar Sava city council, Shimon Peretz, said Meretz won’t be successful.
“[Meretz] will not succeed in upsetting the good relations between the observant and secular in this city. Even within Meretz there is not much support for upsetting the status quo laws on Shabbat buses,” Peretz reportedly said.