Orthodox political leaders ran into trouble today in their attempt to raise $60,000. to compensate the promoters of last week’s international automobile race in Ashkelon for re-scheduling the contest from Saturday to Sunday. The money is supposed to cover losses incurred by holding the race on an ordinary work day instead of the Sabbath. Only 10,000 of the expected 50,000 spectators showed up. The rest had their money refunded. The Mizrachi Bank agreed to pay the promoters by Jan. 10, 1971 but there were doubts today whether the guarantee for the loan would be forthcoming. The guarantee was supplied by the Eretz Israel Fund, a financial tool through which the National Religious Party gets its funds from the Jewish Agency for educational and party organizational expenses. Jewish Agency Treasurer Arch Dolzin said today that he would discontinue the NRP’s allocations if funds ear-marked for other purposes were used to pay off the race promoters.
Meanwhile the NRP leadership came under strong criticism from the party’s younger elements for “buying out” the Sabbath. They objected to a special campaign for funds to pay the Mizrachi Bank loan. A member of the Ashkelon City Council obtained an injunction from the High Court today prohibiting the town’s religious council from using municipal funds to pay bills incurred by preparations for a mass demonstration against the race. The religious elements were planning to bring thousands of yeshiva students and other zealots to Ashkelon when it appeared that the race would be held on the Sabbath. They ran up a substantial debt for sleeping accommodations, food and drinks for the would-be demonstrators. The City Council petitioner claimed that the religious council’s money is intended solely to provide Orthodox residents of Ashkelon with religious services.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
