EXCERPT: A proposal to put Israel on a shortened work week, with Friday a half-day and Sunday a vacation day, may be buried before it gets off the ground.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has agreed on a Knesset committee to discuss the proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, but it quickly ran into opposition from Arab Knesset Members and Shas party’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
The current work week in Israel usually is Sunday through Thursday, although many also work half a day on Friday. Declaring Sunday a non-work day would enable observant Jews to attend activities and go on vacation and buying trips, which are prohibited on the Sabbath. However, it also would mean less education and learning of Jewish studies, a principle of the religious community.