Windows of Herzliya pasta franchise smashed, allegedly because it opens on Shabbat

Windows at a Pasta Basta franchise in Herzliya were vandalized overnight, with the alleged motive being the business's decision to open on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. The incident occurred in the same shopping center where an ice cream chain, Othello, had previously been vandalized multiple times before closing on Saturdays.

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This is a very serious criminal act. Firstly, we are standing by the business owners and are working with the police to quickly locate those responsible and bring them to justice.

Hersliya Mayor Yariv Fisher expressed strong condemnation, calling the vandalism a "very serious criminal act." He stated that the act was not just an attack on the business but also on the core values of Herzliya and its residents, emphasizing the city's largely secular and liberal identity.

Fisher vowed to support the business owners and work with the police to find those responsible. He also pledged to continue promoting the shopping complex and the city as a "beacon of liberalism," despite the challenges. He plans to increase municipal support for events and businesses within the complex to encourage weekend traffic.

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It is important to state that this is not just an attack on the business itself, but more generally on the core values of Herzliya and its residents.

The enforcement of laws regarding commerce on Shabbat is a contentious issue in Israel, reflecting broader debates about the role of religion in public life. The repeated vandalism highlights the tensions between traditional religious observance and secular lifestyles in some Israeli cities.

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I vowed the acts of vandalism would not deter me from promoting Herzliya as a “beacon of liberalism.”