JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israel's health minister, who heads a powerful ultra-Orthodox party, resigned on Sunday in protest of construction work on a rail on Sabbath, the day when all works are rigorously prohibited under Jewish law.
Yaakov Litzman, head of United Torah Judaism party, said in a statement that his resignation was handed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of public violations of the holy Jewish day. According to Litzman, the work, part of maintenance work of the national rail lines, was conducted on Saturday unnecessarily and could have been done on a different day.
He said the observance of the Sabbath through Jewish history has always been a "supreme value."
"We were raised to defend the Sabbath from desecration," he said, adding that "as a minister in Israel, I cannot maintain the ministerial responsibility" of being part of a government that acts in contradiction to the "holy values of the Jewish people."
The ultra-Orthodox parties have provided important support to Netanyahu's otherwise narrow coalition.
According to local media reports, Netanyahu may face a coalition crisis as other ultra-Orthodox parties might raise demands to observe the Sabbath in other fields. However, Litzman's party, for now, is remaining part of the coalition.
At the start of Israel's weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he regrets Litzman's resignation, adding he hopes to find a solution that will bring Litzman back.
"The Sabbath is important also to us as so does the needs of the general public in Israel, including the need to ensure a safe and consistent transportation," Netanyahu added.
