Question
As an expellee from Gush Katif, I’ve been looking for new employment for some time. There is a government program to hire Gush Katif expellees at the large Intel - Kiryat Gat plant that operates 7 days a week including Shabbat and Chagim. Although religious Jews are exempt from working on Shabbat and Chagim, the company, with Israeli govt. agreement, is in violation of the religious "status quo" thereby leading to further chilul shabbat in Eretz Yisrael and "causing" hundreds of Jews to work on Shabbat. Am I allowed to work at this plant? If I work on Friday, can I prepare any work components that will be used by the next work shift (on Shabbat) composed of Jews? Help! I need the employment but I don’t want to contribute to chilul shabbat in Israel.
Answer
Shalom,
You may work at the plant - Intel as long as you do not work on Shabbat or assist the Jewish workers who work on Shabbat.
May Hashem send you Bracha and Parnasa Beshefa.
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
