Israel’s largest mall under fire for defying Shabbat law

While mall pledges to remain open on Saturdays, a Haredi boycott and labor investigation may force the complex to shutter its doors on the Sabbath.

By World Israel News Staff

A recently opened shopping mall, which is now the largest commercial complex of its kind in Israel, has become the focus of a legal battle because it is open on Saturdays.

Big Fashion Glilot, which opened to the public in late February, is located within the municipality of Ramat HaSharon, a Tel Aviv suburb.

The sprawling outdoor complex boasts 160 stores, with the vast majority of them remaining open on the traditional Jewish day of rest, known as Shabbat.

Israeli law forbids businesses from opening on Saturdays, permitting fines to be levied against owners who choose to defy the law. n some largely secular cities, however, such as Tel Aviv, municipalities often turn a blind eye to businesses operating on Saturdays and do not fine them.

There are a number of legal issues regarding Big Fashion Glilot’s Shabbat operations.

While the mayor of Ramat HaSharon has pledged not to enforce fines against businesses in the complex that are open on Shabbat, the city’s legal adviser, Micha Blum, said in a letter that it must do so.

“The law is not merely a suggestion,” Blum wrote.

Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur, who is a member of the Haredi Shas party, announced that he would launch an investigation into the mall for potentially violating labor laws.

“Labor laws in the State of Israel are not a recommendation; they are a civil obligation to preserve the rights of workers. The Working Hours and Rest Law in the State of Israel clearly states that it is strictly forbidden to employ Jewish workers on Shabbat without a special permit,” Ben-Tzur said in a media statement.

“I will not let monopolies exploit workers from disadvantaged populations in violation of the law. Accordingly, the Enforcement Division at the Ministry of Labor has increased enforcement. As Minister of Labor, my policy is clear and firm. In the Jewish state, neither the Sabbath nor the rights of workers will be trampled underfoot,” he added.

Haredi leaders recently announced a boycott of the mall, along with its parent company, Big Fashion, due to their “public trampling of the sanctity of the Shabbat.”

Comprising some 10 percent of Israel’s population, the Haredi community has significant purchasing power. Boycotts endorsed by Haredi community leaders see near-universal participation and can potentially make or break a business.

Big Fashion responded to the boycott in a harshly worded public statement, accusing Haredi leaders of religious coercion and adding that it would be “preferable” for them to “enlist in the IDF and participate in the war” defending Israel.