Together with the trains on the Tel Aviv-Haifa line, the locomotives that drove the spat between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz in the past two weeks have been trying to get back on track. In the end, someone managed to persuade Netanyahu not to carry out his intention of firing Katz, at least for the time being. But like the explosive issue of works on Saturday, the confrontation between the two politicians is likely to break forth in the coming weeks. There is no reconciliation between them, only a temporary ceasefire. The railways crisis has released political demons that will ravage the political system for some time to come, and Katz is liable to become one of their victims.
A survey for Walla! News finds that in the eyes of the public Netanyahu is the one who has been damaged by the weekend's events. Most of the Israeli public opposes halting work on the railways on Saturdays and is not impressed by Netanyahu's attempt to lay the blame on Katz for upsetting the haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) community and for the transport chaos that ensued from his own decision to accede to the demand by haredi politicians that Israel Railways should not carry out works on the Jewish sabbath. In the haredi community, on the other hand, Katz is seen as the guilty party.
Asked who was responsible for the crisis over infrastructure work by Israel Railways on Saturdays, 42% of respondents said Netanyahu; 17% said Katz; 27% said the haredi political parties; 3% said someone else; and 11% had no opinion. Asked whether Israel Railways ought to carry out infrastructure work on Saturdays, 57% said yes; 35% said no; and 8% had no opinion.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 5, 2016
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