The chairman of the Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, called Monday for the cessation of professional soccer games on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day, because it excludes observant Jews who are not allowed to engage in any activity on the day.
«It is undemocratic, unsportsmanlike and anti-Jewish and must stop,» Smotrichen said in a letter sent to the commissioner of the Israel Professional Football Leagues (IPFL), Erez Halfon, according to the daily ‘The Jerusalem Post’.
«Unfortunately for you among the people attending the games there are no fans who respect the Sabbath. You have chosen to ignore a large audience of players, children and families,» Smotrich added.
LFPI have responded to Smotricht also by letter. «Soccer was played on Sabbath even before the founding of Israel. We have recently changed the game times so that more children and families can attend the games,» he argued.
The measure «has been very successful» and the early matches have «many children, women and military personnel» in the audience. «People want to watch soccer at comfortable hours and be able to go home at a normal time,» he added.
The Religious Zionism party is emerging as one of the most controversial supporters that Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party will have to rely on to form a government after the November 1 elections.
Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli has criticized Somotrich for this request. «Smotrichno has not yet sat in the government and is already trying to impose his religious way of life on the entire nation of Israel. Israel will not be a theocracy,» he posted on Twitter.
