JERUSALEM (AP) -- In Israel, religious and secular Jews are at such odds that they even argue over the daylight.
Orthodox Jewish lawmakers insisted Thursday that they will block plans by Interior Minister Natan Sharansky to extend daylight-saving time by several weeks.Reversing a decision by his religious predecessor, the nonobservant Sharansky said Wednesday that daylight-saving time will be extended by 37 days this year.
The decision was immediately applauded by secular Israelis.
However, observant Jews, who make up about 30 percent of Israel's Jewish population, say daylight-saving time discourages people from observing religious ritual, such as morning prayers, which would have to be held an hour earlier than usual.
Sharansky's reversal is not final. The minister will have to push the proposal through parliament's Interior Affairs Committee, headed by David Azoulai of the religious Shas party.
"I don't see any reason to change the duration of the summer clock," Azoulai said. "It's unfortunate that the summer clock issue is being used in the argument between religious and secular Jews."
"We already have enough things to disagree on," he added.
Sharansky is trying to save lives based on research showing that a longer period for the summer clock means fewer car accidents, said his aide, Roman Polansky.
"We have to make these decisions based not on the problems between secular and religious Jews, but based on the concept of saving lives, something that unites us," Polansky said.
In Judaism, the principle of saving lives can override religious law.