(ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS) — Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat is set to stop the Sabbath operations of eight minimarkets in central Jerusalem, according to Army Radio. Secular city councilors said that this is part of a tradeoff Barkat has made with haredi councilors, according to which they will countenance the opening of a new movie complex – the Yes Planet – on Sabbaths.
The affected minimarkets are located between Shivtei Yisrael, Keren Hayesod and Agrippas streets.
The opening of the new movie house on Sabbaths aroused opposition among a very wide swathe of religious and haredi public in Jerusalem, from the extremist-haredi Eida Hareidit, which organized a protest outside the moviehouse, to religious Zionist councillors who also protested the move.
