Hundreds show up to support Rehovot businesses fined for opening on Shabbat

Ice cream parlor Otello and cafe Nook are cited after operating on Saturdays for over a year, leading residents to complain about uneven enforcement of Shabbat policy

Hundreds of people in the central Israeli city of Rehovot came out in support of two businesses on Saturday after the municipality fined the shops for operating on Shabbat.

The Otello ice cream parlor was fined NIS 730 shekels ($250) on Friday for violating a municipal bylaw against conducting business on the Jewish day of rest, which led residents to come and buy ice cream, Ynet reported. Footage showed a crowd of people and a long line out of the store.

Additionally, Nook, a cafe next to Otello, was fined the week before, after receiving a warning for operating on Shabbat.

Enforcement of laws regarding work on Shabbat is an ongoing issue of contention in Israel, against the backdrop of broader disagreement over the relationship between religion and state. Municipal and national laws often differ, sometimes leading to conflict between city authorities and the national government, as well as local discord.

Rehovot, with a population of about 150,000, is a mixed city with religious and secular residents. A city bylaw permits certain businesses north of the police station on Herzl Street to operate on Shabbat.

The ice cream parlor and cafe are situated next to the police station, but are located just south of it.

It was not clear why the stores were fined now, with both being open on Shabbat for over a year

The owner of Otello in Rehovot, Liran Natan, wrote online that “We are not located in a religious neighborhood or operate in a defiant and disruptive manner.”

“There is a demand for businesses like ours in the city and in the region that are open on Saturday, but recently something changed,” he wrote.

“The municipality started handing us fines for the fact that we are open on Shabbat. It’s important to note that other businesses in Rehovot are open on Shabbat and do not receive fines,” Natan added.

Maya, who spoke with Ynet, said that she comes to Nook with friends almost every Saturday.

“We came today, and I didn’t understand what the commotion outside was about. I think everyone in the city will choose their own entertainment on Saturday, and we will respect each other.”

Critics pointed to other businesses open in the area on Shabbat as proof of poor policy in regulating the issue.

Another resident who came in support said, “The time has come after 20-30 years to regulate the issue of activity on Shabbat. The city has grown and doubled. It’s a bit strange and hard to understand how one cafe gets fined, and less than 100 meters north of it on the same street, the inspectors don’t issue fines.”

Yaniv Markovich, who serves as head of the opposition in the city council and joined the crowd on Saturday, said, “We have come to say enough is enough with the abuse of businesses that are open on Shabbat. What’s more, there are nearby businesses that are open, and no report has been filed against them.”

Ital Alsheich, who served as deputy mayor and resigned from the coalition last week, said, “I came with the general public for ice cream to say enough is enough.”

Rehovot’s municipality issued a statement saying it “gravely views the attempt to turn a specific event into divisive and inciting discourse, which harms the shared and special fabric of life that has been built in the city over many years. Rehovot is a diverse city where different communities live together in mutual respect, while maintaining the city’s status quo.”

“The business in question has been operating for a long time, and the issue is being examined by all professional bodies in the municipality. To the extent that it is found that an error was made in the decision or in the manner of enforcement, the matter will be handled accordingly,” the statement added.

This isn’t the first time there has been a public uproar in Rehovot regarding businesses open on Shabbat.

In 2024, Rehovot residents also protested a citation issued to McDonald’s for operating on Shabbat, after police ordered that it close immediately and pay a fine of NIS 730.