Court Rejects Petition Over Saturday Business Operations at Big Glilot

The Tel Aviv District Court has rejected a petition against Big Glilot and the municipality of Ramat Hasharon over businesses operating on Saturdays. The court said the case had become moot after the municipality and Mayor Avi Gruber stated that, in line with the city’s policy document, they intended to enforce the municipal bylaw and ensure it is applied.

The court noted that the policy framework aims to emphasize Ramat Hasharon as a pluralistic city with a secular character, reflecting the identity and wishes of its residents. On that basis, the judges said there was no longer a need to intervene in the petition.

The administrative petition was filed in May 2025 by Boris Cohen and the workers’ organization Histadrut HaPoel HaMizrachi against the Ramat Hasharon municipality, the mayor, and Big. They argued that the city was failing to enforce its municipal bylaw by allowing businesses in the Big complex to remain open on the Sabbath and by not fining those that operated on the day of rest.

The petitioners asked the court to order effective enforcement, including fines, closure orders, and other administrative measures. With the petition dismissed, the court did not grant those requested remedies.