Israel’s chief rabbis on Thursday condemned a decision by Israel Railways to run trains from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Tel Aviv on Shabbat to transport Israelis returning to the country after being stranded abroad due to the war with Iran.
“We hereby protest vigorously against the mass desecrations of the Sabbath planned for this coming Shabbat, conducted officially by the Government of Israel, in situations where there is certainly no element of pikuah nefesh whatsoever, and without consultation with the rabbis,” Chief Rabbis Kalman Ber and David Yosef wrote in a March 5 letter to Transport Minister Miri Regev.
Pikuach nefesh is the fundamental principle in Jewish law that prioritizes the preservation of human life over almost all other religious commandments and restrictions.
A copy of the letter, which was made public by the Chief Rabbinate’s spokesman, was also sent to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox party leaders, among others.
The condemnation from the Chief Rabbinate came after Israel Railways announced that it would run trains between the airport and Tel Aviv throughout the weekend to accommodate returning Israelis. More than 120,000 Israelis were stranded abroad by the war.
Aviation officials estimate it could take seven to 10 days to bring the Israelis abroad back home on repatriation flights, which began on Thursday with all four Israeli airlines.
Israel’s flag carrier El Al will not operate flights on Shabbat, in keeping with its state-sanctioned no-fly policy on the Sabbath, although smaller Israeli carriers will offer service.
There was no immediate comment from the Transport Ministry on the chief rabbis’ protest letter. Most public transportation in Israel does not operate from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, in observance of Shabbat.
