The Battle Over Shabbat in Israel

Shabbat is a class issue
Complaints by westernized Israelis over the closure of public buses & shopping centers on Shabbat actually place the wants of the privileged above the needs of Israel's low-wage workers for a day of rest.

For decades, Israelis have argued over the status of Shabbat in the public sphere.

But while this fight has largely been framed as one of “religious coercion” – over whether or not the observance of Shabbat is being forced on Israeli society’s public square – the real issue might actually be about class.

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