Hareidi Rabbis of the Committee for Shabbat” will vote against funding for a new Sportek (country club/sports center) in Jerusalem because of fears of “wholesale desecration of Shabbat.”
“For the sake of Zion and Jerusalem, we will not remain quiet,” the rabbis wrote in their statement.
The Jerusalem City Council is set to vote Thursday night on funding the new complex.
A year ago, Hareidi rabbis said they would not oppose the new Sportek center after an agreement was reached with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to change its location from Ramot to Emek Arazim.
Mayor Nir Barkat agreed to move the sport’s club to a new site to avoid offending Hareidi sensibilities, and as a bonus decided to leave the planned Olympic-sized swimming pool in Ramot, for use by the Hareidim — with separate swimming only.
One senior politician associated with UTJ was embarrassed by the situation told the Hareidi Kikar Shabbat website, “How can we look the mayor in the eyes? He reached an agreement with us, with the approval of the Rabbis, and now we’re going against it? ‘Did you murder and also inherit?’ The mayor won’t believe us anymore.” But regardless of what the politician personally believes, he “will vote only in accordance with the Rabbis’ instructions.”