Israel’s government could fall over ultra-Orthodox enlistment

 ASHDOD, Israel — A open-air market has become an unlikely battleground in a wider struggle that could potentially bring down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

For weeks, shop owners in the Big Fashion mall have received warnings and fines for illegally opening on Saturday — the traditional Jewish day of rest.

The dispute is part of a long-running debate between the country’s secular and religious populations over the role of the Orthodox in public life. It affects how much power religious Jews have over less-observant Jews on issues like shopping and riding public transport on the Sabbath, and whether the ultra-Orthodox will participate in traditional Israeli institutions like the military.

“It’s OK that there’s a Sabbath and people observe the Sabbath, but this is my salary,” said Karin Cohen, a mother of three who sells cupcakes and empanadas in the seaside city of Ashdod.


Source : nbcnews