Donald Trump’s Jewish daughter and son-in-law have been given special permission to travel by car on Shabbat in the hours after his inauguration as president.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were told by a rabbi that they could use vehicles on Friday evening due to “security concerns”.

The unnamed rabbi reportedly ruled that the Jewish law of pikuach nefesh – saving a life – could be applied in their case.

The principal is really intended only to be used when a life-threatening situation actually arises.

But Mark Zell, chair of the Israeli Republican Party, told a radio show about the couple’s plans to travel by car on Shabbat following the inauguration in Washington DC, the Forward reported.

Mr Kushner and Ms Trump observe Shabbat, but have been known in the past to work on Saturdays on some occasions, including during the election campaign.

Ms Trump has previously described herself as being “pretty observant”. She had an Orthodox conversion after meeting Mr Kushner.

Joe Lieberman, a frum former vice-presidential candidate, wrote in his book The Gift of Rest about his regular five-mile walks through Washington to vote in the Senate on Shabbat.

He also occasionally picked up the phone to presidents or leading political figures if he believed it was a matter of national security or could be regarded as a life-saving issue.