Hundreds Protest Public Bus Lines Operating on Shabbat in Safed

On Shabbat during Parashat Balak, hundreds gathered at the central bus station in Safed to protest the operation of public bus lines on Shabbat, which they view as a public desecration of the holy day. The buses in question are lines 361 from Safed to Haifa, 511 from Safed to Kiryat Shmona, and 367 from Safed to Nahariya. These lines begin picking up passengers about an hour and a half before Shabbat ends, at 6:00 p.m., thereby violating Shabbat observance openly.

The demonstrators included fervent religious Jews from various holy communities and Torah-observant groups in Safed, who came together to express their pain over the public desecration of Shabbat and demanded that all relevant authorities immediately halt this practice. The protest was conducted respectfully and according to the organizers' instructions, with participants singing Shabbat songs and voicing their heartfelt cries without engaging in provocations, despite attempts by some opponents to incite them.

Six protesters were detained during the demonstration, and efforts were underway to secure their release. Organizers expressed satisfaction with the large turnout and declared their intention to continue and expand protests as long as the bus lines operate on Shabbat. Concurrently, local Safed activists are engaging in dialogue with relevant parties to end the ongoing Shabbat desecration in public transportation.

In the days leading up to the protest, large posters were displayed throughout Safed calling on residents from all holy communities to unite in protest against the bus lines operated by "Nativ Express" under the Ministry of Transportation's directive. The posters emphasized the need to stop the trampling of Shabbat honor and urged full community participation. Hundreds responded to this call, gathering to publicly express their distress over the violation of Shabbat in their city.