Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner get rabbinical approval to fly with president on Shabbat

President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner received rabbinic approval to fly with him on Shabbat to the Middle East and Europe, Politico reported.

A White House official said that Kushner and his wife, who are both Orthodox Jews, have received a rabbinical dispensation to join the president aboard Air Force One as he sets off on his first overseas Friday, according to the report. Orthodox Jews generally observe a prohibition on work, motorised travel and the switching on or off of any appliance that uses heat, electricity or fire.

As a matter of consensus, this prohibition does not apply to situations life-or-death situations or when violating the Shabbat has the potential of saving human lives (and according to some rulers, also those of certain animals under specific circumstances.)

A White House official conformed to Politico that the couple had receive special permission from a rabbi. The article named neither the official nor the rabbi. It did not who obtained the dispensation or when.

Trump has tasked Kushner with brokering a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

On the presidential visit, Trump and his delegation are scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy and Belgium. Trump will land in Israel on Monday.