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Israel’s Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, has resigned because the government insists on carrying out so e maintenance work on the Sabbath.
Litzman is a member of the ultra-orthodox United Torah Judaism party, and ultra-orthodox Jews object to work being carried out on the Sabbath – the Jewish day of rest, as evident in the Holy Bible.
Israel Railways said that to avoid congestion and ensure public safety, important railway maintenance work must be done on the Sabbath as no trains run between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday.
But in his resignation letter, Mr Litzman said: “I cannot bear ministerial responsibility for the severe harm to one of the eternal values of the Jewish people, which is the Sabbath.
“The Sabbath, as well as the needs of all Israeli citizens, including, of course, the need for safe and consistent transportation are important to us. I’m sure that we will find an educated solution to this”.
Litzman’s party, United Torah Judaism party, is helping to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in power.
AFP however quotes a party spokesman as saying that the coalition was still intact as the party had no plans to leave the coalition “at this stage”.
Mr Netanyahu, whose government has only a slim parliamentary majority, said all members of the coalition were in favour of its continued existence.