Restrictive Saturday trading bill passes first reading

Aryeh Deri photo: Shlomi Yosef
Aryeh Deri photo: Shlomi Yosef

Under the "grocers bill", local authority bylaws on Saturday opening for stores will require the interior minister's consent. 

Aryeh Deri's threat that he would resign from the government unless the "grocers bill" was raised for first reading yesterday proved effective. The Knesset decided to hold votes into the night, including on the bill, after the collation understood that it would obtain the required majority.

The bill to amend laws governing local authorities, known as the grocers bill, passed first reading last night by a majority of 59 to 54, with one abstention.

Under the bill, bylaws concerning opening and closing of businesses on Saturdays and Jewish holidays will require the agreement of the minister of the interior. Agreement will be granted only for businesses supplying vital needs. Deri has been promoting this legislation since the High Court of Justice ruled a few months ago in favor of a relatively permissive bylaw introduced by the Tel Aviv municipality regulating the opening of businesses on Saturdays. Deri missed the legal deadline for disallowing the Tel Aviv bylaw. As a result, the new law will apply to all local authorities in Israel except for Tel Aviv.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 12, 2017

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017

Aryeh Deri photo: Shlomi Yosef
Aryeh Deri photo: Shlomi Yosef
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