Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced Monday that the special committee for a new "summer clock" has recommended to set Daylight Saving Time 193 days between the last weekend of March and October 1. The current system had summer time lasting 182 days between the end of Pessah and the weekend between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
If October 1 falls in the middle of Rosh Hashana, or on Shabbat, then the winter clock will begin a day prior.
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The interior minister commended the committee's work, saying "they sat and determined [the change] independently. We gave them the freedom to examine the international situation, the consequences of the change, and the savings we may accrue in energy and if there will be any impact on [highway safety]," adding their work was "very professionally done."
The debate over changing Israel Summer Time heated up in 2010 when the
winter clock began very early on September 12 due to the drastic
difference between the Hebrew and secular calendars.
This meant that the Israel returned to the winter clock two months prior to the US and Europe.
As for whether or not the new calendar will in fact save energy or
prevent traffic accidents, Yishai said "there is no research that points
neither here nor there." Looking ahead, he added "this too will be
checked."