Israel's Interior Ministry said Monday that Ramat HaSharon must keep enforcing its existing bylaws against businesses operating at Big Glilot on Shabbat, after the Tel Aviv District Court dismissed a petition against the city. The ministry said the ruling does not change the legal situation and that the city must continue issuing fines until a new bylaw is properly approved.
According to the ministry, the current municipal bylaw, which has been in force since 1967, bans businesses from opening on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, with only limited exceptions. Officials argued that the city cannot rely on the situation on the ground or on plans for future legal changes to avoid enforcement, saying that only a duly approved replacement bylaw would have effect.
The ministry described the court decision as reinforcing the principle of the rule of law. It said, "A local authority may not refrain from enforcing a valid bylaw simply because it believes a new arrangement is needed." The statement followed months of friction between the ministry and Ramat HaSharon over the shopping complex, owned by Haim Galiis.
Last week, the Interior Ministry's director general sent an unusual letter to the mayor demanding enforcement and fines for businesses violating the bylaw. No citations or fines have been issued so far, and the shops at Big Glilot have continued to operate on Saturdays. The city says enforcement priorities require dealing first with more serious offenses, and that the city council has already approved a new bylaw reflecting what it says is the will of most residents, but the ministry says that bylaw has no practical force until the legal approval process is completed.
