Israel has certain regulations and laws that govern the types of consumer products that are allowed within its borders. Despite the vast array of consumer products available globally, some popular, commonplace items are prohibited in Israel. This article explores the reasons behind the ban of certain consumer products in Israel.

What is a consumer product?

Consumer products are items that are purchased by individuals for personal use. They can be physical products such as microwaves, handbags, and gaming consoles, but also digital services such as Netflix, Spotify and other streaming services. 

What types of consumer products are banned in Israel?

Many products that are popular in the USA and Europe are banned in Israel for a variety of reasons. Some key products that are banned include the following:

Juul Vapes

The Israeli government banned the import and sale of Juul vapes in 2018, citing public health concerns. While the e-cigarette market has boomed in countries such as the US and the UK, they have a worryingly high nicotine content. Juul vapes contain more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per millimeter. 

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu followed the advice of Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and the recommendations of Health Ministry officials who have warned that the product was too new to allow reliable research on its longer-term effects.

Gambling

Another consumer product that is banned in Israel is gambling, including all forms of betting, lotteries, and games of chance. The Israeli Penal Law 5737–1977 places a ban on gambling activity in Israel.  

This ban also includes services which support gambling, such as venues where gaming activity takes place. This is largely because gambling had been deemed a bad influence on society, promoting addictions. 

However, Israeli citizens are allowed to play the Israeli National Lottery, and are allowed to bet using the Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB). The ISBB holds a monopoly on sports betting throughout the country, both online and land-based. No country is legally allowed to challenge this monopoly. 

High Cost Loans

The Israeli government discourages high cost loans, such as payday loans. 

Jewish law prevents Jewish people from borrowing, lending, or being involved in transactions that charge interest to other Jewish people. Muslims are not allowed to benefit from lending or receiving money from anyone. High rates of interest also cause financial issues, such as debt spirals. 

Israel’s lending interest rate was 3.3989% in 2020. Some charities such as the Israel Free Loan Association (IFLA) provide more than 300 interest free loans each month to families, students, small businesses, and more. They also offer general and emergency loans. Over the years, they have provided over $200 million to over 54,000 people.

High cost loans are banned due to both religious and social reasons. With a high proportion of Israelis being Jewish or Muslim, financial products such as payday loans are discouraged since Jewish law prevents Jews from borrowing, lending or being involved in a transaction that charges interest to Jews and similar teachings exist in Islam.

High rates of interest can also cause people into a spiral of debt which is not something that the Israeli government wishes to encourage.

Gaming

In Israel, physical casinos are banned, as well as traditional casino games. Some portions of Israel’s population are able to board dedicated international cruise ships that are docked in Israel’s ports, which offer casino activities. However, this is far from accessible to everyone. 

However, a thriving underground gambling sector has popped up recently. It offers games such as Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat, and is said to be worth over $3.5 billion per annum.

Israeli technology and entrepreneurs have been very successful in this industry overseas, including in the UK, South Africa and Malta.

Although the government tries to crack down on this illegal activity, their filtering has not always been a success. Playing a prohibited game is liable to a penalty of up to one year’s imprisonment, but this has not deterred every player. Many foreign gambling sites now even have the option for Israeli players to switch the language to Hebrew.