To the credit of the Obama administration, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, their children, and the entourage accompanying the national leader all ate kosher food during the recent visit to Washington DC.

There are a number of Shomer Shabbos members of the prime minister’s staff, and they were prepared to manage with eating in a local Washington restaurant but they quickly learned they were well provided for.

To the pleasant surprise of some, the White House realized the special dietary needs of some of the staff members and therefore, koshered Blair House and had food brought in from Israel. According to a report in the daily Yediot Achronot, the menu was delivered from Eretz Yisrael down to the last item, including humus and pitot, making certain that all the visitors would not have to compromise kashrus during the visit.

Unfortunately, the White House had to concern itself with seeing ahead instead of the organizers of the prime minister’s delegation requesting kosher food. This was done once however, when then visiting Prime Minister Menachem Begin OBM came to the White House, explaining arrangements would have to be made to accommodate his kosher diet.

Since then, sadly, the visiting Israeli leaders seem willing take part in the non-kosher delicacies.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)