State Presses Ramat Hasharon to Enforce Sabbath Ban at Big Glilot

The Interior Ministry has escalated the fight over Big Glilot, sending an unusually harsh letter on Thursday to Ramat Hasharon demanding enforcement of the city bylaw that forbids businesses from opening on Shabbat. The ministry says the current law remains valid until the interior minister approves any amendment, and therefore the municipality must enforce it now.

Big Glilot has become one of Israel’s most contentious flashpoints over Sabbath activity in public space over the past year. Religious groups and activists oppose the mall’s Saturday operations, while business owners, tenants and the management argue the public demand justifies keeping stores open. The dispute has already sparked public, legal and political confrontations.

About a year ago, a petition was filed against Ramat Hasharon, accusing the city of refusing to enforce its bylaw. The petition cited public statements by Mayor Yitzhak Rochberger saying he intended to allow the center to open on Shabbat and that the municipality would not send inspectors against the businesses there.

In the letter, Interior Ministry director general Israel Ouzan questioned the city’s request to change the bylaw and asked for clarification on how many businesses would be allowed to operate, what types they would be, what public need they would serve, what data the city relied on, and what staff work was done before the proposal. He wrote that a law cannot be changed to match a reality created by violations and non-enforcement, saying, "אין מקום להסכים ולהשלים עם מצב פסול שבו חוטא ייצא נשכר". He added that until the bylaw is approved by the interior minister, it has no force. The city must now decide whether to change course or continue its standoff with the ministry.