The Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs will raise on Sunday the bill by MK Zuhair Bahlul of the Zionist Camp, which seeks to grant work-hour relief to employees who fast on religious holidays.
As of today, the decision whether to make allowances for employees who fast on religious holidays is subject to the sole discretion of the employer, and in most cases these allowances will come at the expense of annual vacation days.
The bill seeks to allow a Jewish employee who declares that he fasted on one or more of the following five fasts: Gedaliah Fast, 10th of Tevet, Esther Fast, 17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av; a Muslim employee who fasts during the month of Ramadan; and a Druze employee who declares that he participates in the 'Al-Ushr' prayers - to work two hours later, or to finish work two hours early during the days of fasting.
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The bill comes amid complaints from many Muslim workers who fast during the month of Ramadan, have difficulty functioning fully in the workplace, and cannot afford to take multiple vacation days throughout the long fasting period.
The initiator of the proposal, MK Bahul, said ahead of the discussion in the ministerial committee: "Israeli society, Jews and Muslims, is a traditional society and for most of the public it is important to observe religious customs and commandments. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the most important commandments in Islam. Even I, who am not a religious person by day, am careful to fast throughout the month. In recent years, because Ramadan takes place in the summer months and the days are long, the difficulty for the working person is even greater, and may even pose a health risk.".
Bahloul added: "The State of Israel talks a lot about the importance of integrating the Arab population into the economy and workplaces. Symbolic consideration, such as easing working hours during Ramadan, can bring about a far-reaching change both in the Arab public's sense of belonging and connection, and in its ability to integrate into workplaces outside the local community.".
