JERUSALEM (JTA) — A new Jerusalem movie complex must remain closed on Shabbat, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled.
In its ruling on Sunday, the high court said the Jerusalem municipality should renegotiate the contract with Cinema City and allow the City Council to vote on it.
The Cinema City complex, with 15 theaters and some 50 restaurants and shops, opened last month in central Jerusalem.
The building permit issued in 2010 to the construction company included a stipulation from the Jerusalem municipality and the Finance Ministry that the complex remain closed on Shabbat. The complex was built on government property, and the municipality has said it should remain closed on Shabbat like all government offices.
Several private movie theaters in the city remain open during Shabbat, as are other attractions near Cinema City, including the Israel Museum and the Science Museum.
The theater’s owners are concerned about competition from other entertainment venues that remain open on Saturday, including a cultural complex under construction.
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