Sundays off? - a legislative proposal

[cerulean]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1028814649623

Aug. 11, 2002
Relax... it's Sunday
By LEORA EREN FRUCHT
Advocates say adding Sundays to the official weekend will make Israelis better drivers, more tolerant toward each other, and maybe even less bellicose. Others warn that fiddling with the weekend will only cause trouble. . . .

But it's more than nostalgia that spawned last month's bill, submitted by National Religious Party MK Nahoum Langental, and supported by all the religious parties, Yisrael Ba'aliya and National Union-Yisrael Beitenu.

ADVOCATES of the proposed law say it is a potent way of defusing secular-religious tensions in the country. . . .


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The article details the benefits and drawbacks of having Sunday off. The main problem appears to be the economic impact. It's hard to argue with the social benefits.

Any Israelis with opinions on the issue?

[Mediocrates]

Are there legally mandated vacations in Israel. If so perhaps they could scale those back to make up part of the difference. So perhaps instead of European style 25-30 day vacations per year with a 6 day work week they could have 5 day work weeks and 10-15 vacation days per year.

[Jeremie]

I think this is just pathetic...

I'm a new immigrant from France, so it was a little bit hard for me to get used to an open day on sunday, but that was only psychological.

Adding Sunday in the week-end would disturb the traditionnal meal of friday evening, people would work later, it would split religious people who are doing Shabbat and others. I'm not religious myself but I strongly back-up the idea that it's a basic root that we should never give up... It's Israel specificity and unity.

[Mediocrates]

Good point! thank you.