JERUSALEM – Israel's interior minister says he will no longer permit Tel Aviv supermarkets to stay open on the Jewish sabbath, drawing criticism from liberal Israelis who see the regulation as religious coercion against secular society.
Minister Gideon Saar says he is disqualifying parts of the city's municipal bylaws that allow supermarkets to remain open from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Saar told Army Radio Monday that he seeks to prevent commercial interests from changing the character of Israel's weekly day of rest. Stores are closed in most other Israeli cities because Jewish religious law prohibits work on the Sabbath.
Tel Aviv is seen by Israelis as a bastion of secular culture. Veteran Israeli actress Gila Almagor told Army Radio that religious coercion is spreading "like cancer."
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