Vaad Shabbos official Rav Yitzchak Goldkopf questions why the major protests surrounding the shabbos opening of the Karta parking lot while nothing is seen regarding Shefa Shuk, all the while the Badatz Eida Chareidis hechsher remains prominently displayed in stores.
According to a Kikar Shabbos report, the rav questions just how the parking issue has reached its current proportions while Shefa Shuk actually operates on shabbos, all the while the produce bears the hechsher of the Eida. He cites examples of when there was cooperation, such as the boycott of El Al, but appears puzzled over the Eida's silence regarding Shefa Shuk.
He added there is a reason the Vaad has not joined the Eida's fight against the Karta parking lot, questioning how many people actually use the lot but appears perplexed why the Eida is ignoring the Shefa Shuk operation, in which shoppers on a weekly basis are purchasing produce with a mehadrin hechsher as they are mechalel shabbos.
According to the report, the reason they do not yank the hechsher is they fear Belz or Rav Efrati will take their place and they do not wish to see such an occurrence. Nevertheless, they are out in the streets weekly shouting against the Karta parking lot. Actually, Rav Goldkopf blames the Eida for the Rabbanut continuing to give its supervision to Shefa Shuk as well, explaining the Rabbanut feels if the Eida can remain on board with chilul shabbos, it can too.
R' Goldkopf explains that the Vaad was out protesting on Bar Ilan, but at the end of the day, Karta is a very small operation, one lot, far from the chareidi tzibur. Shefa Shuk's hechsher from the Eida however contributes to chilul shabbos of thousands, if not tens of thousands. He feels if the Eida pulls the hechsher, Shefa Shuk would give in.
''What have we always said'' he asked rhetorically, explaining that AM:PM's operation compels many other stores to remain open on shabbos because of the rules of competition. The same holds true or more so regarding Shefa Shuk, yet the Eida's hechsher remains. ''Since Dudi Weissman decided to open AM:PM, owned by Shefa Shuk, the chilul shabbos has increased significantly! Many store owners who prefer to remain closed feel compelled to open, fearing they will lose business. It's absurd.''
The rav points out that chilul shabbos is chilul shabbos, and it is intolerable with AM:PM as with Karta, but he rejects the Eida's shouts against Karta while giving a hechsher to Shefa Shuk. The Vaad he adds has also turned to the Eida to remove its hechsher but the call was ignored.
