33 of the AM:PM supermarket chain stores operate in Tel Aviv. AM:PM CEO Ido Mor indicated today that the closure of dozens of his chain's stores would not be easily accepted, telling "Globes" today, "We'll carry on working as usual and giving service to our customers next Saturday. Of course, at the same time, we'll use all the legal means at our disposal to change this decision. We believe that eventually, a solution will be found that will allow supermarkets to operate on weekends, and we'll obviously do everything we can to act in cooperation with the Tel Aviv municipality, which is planning an appeal to the High Court of Justice." Dor Alon, part of the Alon Holdings Group in Blue Square, owns the AM:PM chain.
Mor today criticized Minister of the Interior Gideon Saar's decision, warning against what he called a "slippery slope." "We have been operating regularly for almost 20 years without bothering anyone, while providing service to the non-religious public living an around-the-clock lifestyle: students, high-tech employees, and young families," Mor said. "One fine day, however, the Interior Minister woke up and decided to alter the status quo in Tel Aviv by imposing a certain way of life on residents who don't want it and forcing them to adopt a different way of life. This is a slippery slope, because now it's closing supermarkets on the Sabbath; tomorrow, it will be closing restaurants , and next week some of the roads. If we operate all hours of the day and on weekends, it is obviously profitable, and we are meeting a demand coming from many consumers," he added.
The minister of the interior defended his decision to close supermarkets on the Sabbath, saying, "The principle of a weekly day of rest is fundamental for our country. It is a gift from the Jewish people to all of humanity. Many peoples have adopted this principle during the course of history. Other Western countries that greatly prize individual freedom, such as Germany, France, Austria, and others, take care to avoid commerce on the weekly day of rest, other than in a few exceptional cases." He quoted the poet Bialik: "Without the Sabbath, there is no image of God or humanity in the world."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 30, 2014
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