Israel to break tradition and run planes and trains on day of rest
Israel has announced that trains will continue to run tomorrow on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.
Israel Railways do not usually offer passenger service during Shabbat, which lasts for 25 hours from Friday evening until Saturday night. The practice has been long-standing after an agreement between the ultra-Orthodox community and Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.
"As part of the preparations for providing a response... to the home front and security needs, trains will operate during Friday night and throughout Saturday," the statement from the railway company said.
Yesterday, Israel's El Al Airlines also announced it would break a more than 40-year policy of not flying on the Jewish Shabbat to bring Israeli reservists home from around the world to serve in the army.
Reuters reported that El Al had not flown on the Shabbat since 1982 but it had received permission from rabbis who had said that preservation of life overrode other religious laws. The flights will be free of charge and paid for by El Al and large financial institutions in the US.