A new survey by the Smith Institute, commissioned by the Movement for a Jewish and Democratic State, found that 63% of the adult Jewish population believes that the games should be held after Shabbat hours, taking into consideration the soccer players who keep Shabbat.
58% of the population believe that the fans of the famous worldwide sport should be taken into consideration, postponing the games for the weekdays. Even though 59% of the entire population accepts the current games schedule, the 58% who want a change, claim that this new schedule would not damage any of the people involved in the games, and will also allow them to watch the games live.
This survey's results refutes the argument stating that holding soccer matches during weekdays goes against the will of the public, or that it could have as a cause, just a small amount of viewers on the television, and a small crowd on the field. Proving that the majority of the public believes that Shabbat observers should be taken into consideration, and that Shabbat should not be desecrated in order to follow the games.
More than 300 soccer players from the Premier League and the National League signed a petition calling on the prime minister to honor their right to rest and not to work on Shabbat
The motion against soccer matches on Shabbat, submitted by the Movement for a Jewish and Democratic State, becomes reinforced thanks to the Smiths Institute's survey results. "A clear majority of the Jewish people supports our position that has already been accepted by the High Court of Justice. The High Court of Justice ruled that soccer matches on the Sabbath violate the rights of soccer players and are against the law of working hours and rest, and we call on the prime minister and cabinet members to respect the High Court decision and the Sabbath day and not to carry out a political grab against the wishes of the majority of the people".
Betzalel Smotrich responded to the survey's results: "The survey clearly states that most of the people support the struggle of soccer players and their families to keep the Sabbath. It is unthinkable that in a Jewish state, people will be offered two options, either to keep the Sabbath or to earn a living. I call on my ministers and Knesset members to insist on the basic right of the players to rest on Shabbat, in accordance with an explicit clause in the coalition agreements that will not harm the Sabbath-keepers and their livelihood. Yesterday I met with the members in the Knesset and we were presented with the petition signed by hundreds of players calling on the prime minister not to force them to play games on Shabbat. If the Football Association has already decided to move the main games from Saturday to Sunday or Monday, basing this decision solely for considerations of rating, then there would be no logical and no moral justification to force the other games on the Sabbath itself, contrary to the desires of the players and against their rights, granted to them under the Hours of Work and Rest Law.
