why it would be wrong for El Al to fly on shabbes

Submitted by Yaakov Watkins (United States), Dec 25, 2006 at 20:26

Jewish Law deals extensively with a Jewish owned business being open on Shabbes. The article says that Delta and other airlines fly on shabbes, so if Observant Jews boycott El Al, they will end up on airline that fly on shabbes.

The problem as explained in the Mishnah Brurah is maris ha-ayin. Or loosely, what it looks like. Even if the airline is sold every week to non-Jews and no Jew makes a profit from shabbes business, it will still look like Jews are violating shabbes and would be forbidden. El Al markets itself as a Jewish Airline. If it does, it has to maintain Jewish standards or it will look hypocritical.

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