Interior Ministry Chief Says Big Glilot Cannot Open on Shabbat Without Approval

Interior Ministry Director General Israel Ouzan told the Ramat Hasharon municipality that its existing bylaw banning business openings on Shabbat remains in force. Until Interior Minister approval is granted for any amendment, the city must enforce the current rules, a position that directly affects Big Fashion Glilot, where the dispute over Saturday trading has centered.

In his letter to the municipal legal adviser, Ouzan raised several professional questions about the proposed bylaw change, including the scope of permitted Saturday openings, which types of businesses would be allowed, what essential need they would serve, the factual basis the city relied on, and the staff work behind the proposed arrangement. He criticized the municipality’s claim that the amendment merely reflects reality, saying the law cannot be changed to match a situation created by violations and non-enforcement. “There is no place to accept and reconcile with a wrongful situation in which the sinner is rewarded,” he wrote.

Ouzan said the city’s response did not sufficiently address the ministry’s concerns and demanded updated data, full staff work, and detailed answers to all unresolved issues. He stressed, “As long as the bylaw has not been approved by the Interior Minister, it is not in force and cannot be acted upon.”

The Shabbat dispute began before the mall opened and has drawn political and religious reactions. MK Elazar Stern said he would not visit while it operates on Shabbat, arguing that a large shopping center differs from a neighborhood grocery because it pressures more workers to give up their day off. MK Moshe Gafni backed Stern, saying the opening is “a stain on Israeli society.” In Beit Shemesh, 15 prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis issued a boycott call, including Rabbi Aryeh Rattenberg, Rabbi Aryeh Pink, the Vizhnitz Rebbe of Beit Shemesh, and others. Separately, several major chains said they would not open on Shabbat, among them Zara, which occupies 7,500 square meters, and Golf Group, whose stores are closed there despite opening at Bilu Junction. Big CEO Chai Galis said about 65 percent of the mall’s retail businesses would be open on Saturday.