MK Rav Uri Maklev spoke during a Knesset session in which allegations were made that shechita causes suffering to animals. The special session was called following the Kolbotek report
that revealed unacceptable practices at the Zoglovek Company, Israel’s largest purveyor of cold cuts.
Maklev explained to the critics that reality is just the opposite of what they allege and that in fact, shechita is not the cause of undo animal suffering if there is compliance with halacha. “Kashrus is the basis for eliminating animal suffering” he explained, “and a mehudar level of kashrus is synonymous with less animal suffering”.
Maklev made no effort to defend the unacceptable practices seen in Zoglovek, but explained this is not an issue of shechita or kashrus. There he explained the animal suffering was the result of the unacceptable handling of the livestock.
“The entire shechita process is done with a maximum consideration towards limiting animal suffering… and the matter of tzar baalei chaim is an important one in halacha. If a wing is damaged or other such issues the chicken is not suited for shechita” he exclaimed, trying to drive home the point that the chicken must be treated well to remain suitable for shechita.
Maklev accused some of the shechita opponents of taking advantage of the damaging report regarding Zoglovek to launch their war against shechita in Israel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
One can expect a movement by the zionists to ban schechita – which is the bottom of this discussion. The real issue is whether Eretz Yisrael will have a large hareidi population or not, and increasingly the zionists are telling us that the country is not big enough for both of us.
This is just one of many examples thst shows the animal rights movement has nothing in common with Torah or Torah laws regarding animals.
Torah has halachas against unnecessary suffering but does not give animals ‘rights’.
The animal activists want animals to have rights and their agenda is just a disguised excuse to promote the athiest anti Torah agenda.
America is STILL the country with the most freedom for a Jew.
I just fail to understand why people are so blind as to make aliya – in droves. Parnassah is virtually non-existent there for a newcomer and they survive on us Americans.
Every day, there’s another hurdle to overcome, if you chose to live a frum life. I recently had completely choloni cousins visiting from Israel. One would expect that they behave in a manner respectful to their host. HA!
Sad times.
#3: …וַיִּפְתַּח ה, אֶת-פִּי הָאָתוֹן; וַתֹּאמֶר
The Knesset and other props for Israel’s secular ideology are causing suffering for Jews the world over! How about working on Jewish rights? While we have a responsbility to not cause unnecessary pain and suffering to animals, animals do not have rights. People — the People of the Torah — have rights.
Akuperma… There are no “Zionists” opposing Shechita. Most Zionists are observant Jews. Those who are opposing Shechita may be jumping on the Chief Rabbi’s assessment of a plant not following the rules as well as a class action suit which is based on the same information. Although both the Chief Rabbi (Haredi appointment of UTJ and Shas) and suit headed by Noa Erez (women from Haredi neighborhood)are not trying to ban Shechita… they are trying to determine if the the shechita they have been supervising and buy respectivly are kosher.
Donkey13: Eretz Yisrael has always been a place for frum Jews to go in order to have mesiras nefesh in doing mitsvos. If it were better for Jews in Israel than elsewhere, there would be mass migration. The frum Yidden who live in Israel in spite of the goyim (referring both to the zionists and the Yismaelim), have a tremendous zechus. Those who think they are going to Israel so they can have an easier time to frum, are either dumb, naive or no all the frum to begin with.
That those who proclaim to battle for jewish rights the world over, attempt to destroy it at home ..should about say it all
All you commentors are missing the Gemara in Sotah, “from the day the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, their hasn’t been a day without its curse.” Meaning, until the 3rd Beis HaMikdash is standing again there will continue to be tragedies in klal Yisrael. All the misfortunes that we have in this world are because we are missing the Beis HaMikdash, which is the epicenter or epitome if peace.
The *HUGE* problem here is that even though these chickens are unfit for schechita they reach the shochet and they are merely sampling and checking some but not all chickens whether they can still walk etc.
@Donkey13
People who live in Israel are fulfilling a Torah commandment which exists regardless of whether mashiach came, to live in the land, what is your excuse not to fulfill said commandment and to leave you level of mitzvot at d’rabanan.
What is your excuse to continue being an “oved avoda zara” (rashi jews living outside the land are “oved avoda zara” because all service of hashem outside the land goes through malachim?
You think you choose to be in EY? Only those who Hashem considers deserving can be in EY, so what does that make you compared to your ‘chiloni’ cousins, every day just through their living, walking and doing they are doing mitzvos that you can’t even begin to do, and when they do do mitzvos their mitzva counts uncountable times more then when you do them in the US.
@Donkey13
One last remark:
How dare you discourage people from fulfilling a Torah commandment, have you no shame?
Rendering an animal unconscious by hitting it in the head with a steel ball or applying a powerful electric shock is far more painful then death caused by a swift, sharp cut.