Ultra-Orthodox City Construction Continues During Holiday

Intensive infrastructure work for the construction of the massive ultra-Orthodox city, "Kiryat Gat West," is proceeding during a Jewish holiday, despite the general cessation of such work on the Sabbath. Unlike safety or railway projects, which are halted on Saturdays, these construction efforts are for the new city itself and are not classified as emergency work. This development follows similar reports in April, when footage emerged of heavy machinery operating on the Sabbath for the construction of the ultra-Orthodox city "Pulugot" in the south.

The area, previously known as "Kiryat Gat West," was redesignated as an ultra-Orthodox city by former Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf to address housing shortages within the community. According to a policy document from approximately two years ago, "Pulugot" is planned to span 11,300 dunams and accommodate 207,000 residents. Although the city's establishment has not yet received final government approval, extensive infrastructure work is actively underway on the site, preparing the land for residential buildings.

In response to the April footage, Goldknopf stated he viewed the Sabbath construction in western Kiryat Gat with great severity and initiated an urgent investigation. He emphasized that no government body or ministry is permitted to violate the status quo by working on the Sabbath. He intended to immediately contact the current Housing Minister, Haim Katz, and the "Cities" company for clarification, asserting that the sanctity of the Sabbath would not be compromised.