The Tel Aviv Local Affairs Court today turned down outgoing Minister of the Interior Gideon Saar's request for an order closing down supermarkets that operate on the Sabbath. Judge Aviam Barkai ruled that because Saar did not respond in time to the amendment to the municipal bylaws allowing supermarkets to open, and did not give Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai a hearing in the matter, the new bylaw was valid. He therefore ruled that the supermarkets opened on the Sabbath were operating legally.
The ruling means that the Tel Aviv municipality cannot submit new requests to close down businesses operating on the Sabbath, including the AM:PM and Tiv Taam chains. It is also doubtful whether the municipality is entitled to levy fines on businesses operating in the city on the Sabbath.
Advocates Giora Erdinast, Tomer Weissman, Avi Stav, Chen Neeman, and Yehudit Maayan-Pintow from the Erdinast, Ben-Nathan & Co. law firm and Adv. Shlomi Bracha from the S. Biran & Co. law firm represented AM:PM. Advocates Tamir Kahanov and Neta Arbel from the Zellermayer, Pelossof, Rosovsky, Tsafrir, Toledano & Co. law firm represented Tiv Taam.
Adv. Giora Erdinast said in response to the court ruling, "The ruling means that most of the businesses currently operating on the Sabbath in Tel Aviv and holidays can continue doing so, according to criteria set forth in the new bylaw passed by the City Council, the validity of which the Minister of the Interior sought to delay."
He added, "The bottom line is that the character of the city will be determined by its residents, and that democracy also means giving a community autonomy in determining its lifestyle, instead of being dictated by the Interior Minister's philosophy."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 11, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014