Israeli health minister resigns in Sabbath row

Israel’s health minister, who heads a powerful ultra-orthodox political party in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, resigned yesterday after the country’s railways carried out maintenance work on the Sabbath.

Ultra-orthodox parties have provided Netanyahu with support to stabilise his coalition.

Yaakov Litzman said that he resigned because of public violations of the holy day.

Defending the move, Litzman cited the Jewish peoples’ observance of the Sabbath through generations as a “supreme value”.

He said the work conducted publicly on the railway prompted him to resign. It is not clear how this impacts Netanyahu’s government as Litzman’s party, United Torah Judaism, is remaining in the coalition.