Israeli Politicians Debate Traditional Switch Off Daylight Savings Time For Yom Kippur

In Israel, members of the Knesset this week were engaged in debates over whether to continue the traditional practice in Israel of moving off daylight savings time beginning during the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The motivation for the practice is to obtain an earlier sundown and thus end the Yom Kippur fast at an earlier hour-- though the move does not shorten the total number of hours in the day-long fast which would also begin earlier with the change. This year the Jewish High Holidays come particularly early. Yom Kippur falls on Sept. 18.  Business leaders say an early move to Standard Time costs the economy NIS 10M ($2.6M U.S.) and increases road accidents because of increased driving time in the dark. Israel is on Daylight Savings Time each year several weeks less than are the U.S. and Europe. Last week, some 100,000 Israelis signed an online petition urging the public to ignore the switch back to Standard Time. Interior Minister Eli Yishai suggested a compromise-- switch to Standard Time for Yom Kippur, and then go back to Daylight Savings Time the next week.