Hundreds of people in the central Israeli city of Rehovot came out in support of two businesses on Saturday after the municipality fined the shops for operating on Shabbat, Ynet reported.

The Otello ice cream parlor was fined NIS 730 shekels ($250) on Friday for violating a municipal bylaw against conducting business on the Jewish day of rest, which led residents to come and buy ice cream. Footage showed a crowd of people and a long line out of the store.

Additionally, Nook, a cafe next to Otello, was fined the week before, after receiving a warning for operating on Shabbat.

Enforcement of laws regarding work on Shabbat is an ongoing issue of contention in Israel, against the backdrop of broader disagreement over the relationship between religion and state. Municipal and national laws often differ, sometimes leading to conflict between city authorities and the national government, as well as local discord.

Rehovot, with a population of about 150,000, is a mixed city with religious and secular residents. A city bylaw permits certain businesses north of the police station on Herzl Street to operate on Shabbat.

The ice cream parlor and cafe are situated next to the police station, but are located just south of it.

It was not clear why the stores were fined now, with both being open on Shabbat for over a year

The owner of Otello in Rehovot, Liran Natan, wrote online that “We are not located in a religious neighborhood or operate in a defiant and disruptive manner.”

“There........

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