With shmitah only months away, the Knesset Audit Committee is studying the report that followed the last shmitah towards determining if the recommendations were implemented. There were many problems with the government’s handling of the last shmitah year and lawmakers are hopeful these failures will not accompany shmitah 5775 so they are studying the state comptroller’s report that was issued following the last one.
Next week the committee will convene and the upcoming shmitah is on the agenda. Committee Chairman MK (Shas) Amnon Cohen plans to demand some answers. For one thing, Cohen feels there is no justification for the sharp increase in produce prices due to shmitah. Cohen insists he is committed to lowering prices this time around.
The State Comptroller’s report cites that despite the fact the budget for last shmitah was four times any shmitah preceding it, the government lacked background documents including the necessary economic calculations to permit establishing a budget towards meeting the objectives, which were never met.
The Chief Rabbinate Council in the last shmitah made an unprecedented decision, to establish an otzar beis din, which was not approved for funding by Knesset of other state agencies. The comptroller cited the Rabbinate then connected with a private company to supply the goods, but the failures were colossal as the plan lacked all necessary preparations. According to the State Comptroller, the last shmitah was nothing short of disaster.
The same holds true for other state agencies as the comptroller cited the Ministries of Agriculture and Religious Services were unprepared.
The comptroller cited that mehadrin shmitah produce was selling for as much as 66% more than heter mechira shmitah produce despite state subsidies to farmers providing mehadrin produce as well as tax incentives to importers. Never the less there was price gouging. The comptroller’s report adds that a law was passed to assist preparing for the last shmitah, 2008/5768 in the hope of facilitating that sabbatical year and subsequent shmitah years. The report calls on the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to take the necessary steps to prepare for Shmitah.
The comptroller calls on the Chief Rabbinate and state ministries to prepare for the next shmitah. The committee hopes to get things moving along in time for Rosh Hashanah 5775.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Given current government attitudes towards hareidim, don’t be surprised if the government mandates applying a heter mechira to all lands and takes the position that anyone now accepting the zionist view that allows agriculture as normal is on their own.