While the Shas party wishes to introduce an amended state kosher law to circumvent the recent ruling by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, it appears the slim coalition reality will make passing such a bill problematic. There is a machlokes between Shas and the Kulanu party and this has caused a delay. MK Rachel Azaria’s stern opposition to the wording of Shas’ amended law compels Shas to push off the bill until such time a majority vote is certain.

Azaria and her colleagues feel the wording of the amended law is stricter than the current law, prohibiting any wording whatsoever by a business claiming to be kosher if the business does not have a local rabbinate hashgacha. They feel a business should be able to advertise itself as being kosher without compelling it to obtain hashgacha from a local rabbinate. They feel the current language of the bill is problematic, leaving too much room for interpretation that could include accusing a store with a worker wearing a kippa or displaying pictures of rabbonim as “advertising” as being kosher without a rabbinate hashgacha.

Kulanu feels the Shas proposal is not maintaining the status quo as the coalition agreements demand, but redefining it with a stricter version of the kosher law. Azaria, who was also a Jerusalem councilwoman affiliated with the Yerushalmim party, explains the new legislation is in direct opposition to the kehilla kashrus that her party supported in Yerushalayim, permitting a private hashgacha for stores that do not wish to work with the Jerusalem Rabbinate. She and others spearheaded the move to provide kashrus supervision for stores uninterested in availing themselves of the Jerusalem Rabbinate kashrus services.

Azaria brought her objections to party chairman MK Roy Folkman, who tried speaking with Shas officials towards reaching an agreeable text. Agreement was reached by which Shas committed to preserve the current religious status quo but Kulanu accuses Shas of failing to make good on that promise. Senior Kulanu officials indicate the Bayit Yehudi party is not thrilled with the wording of Shas’ bill either. When asked, Bayit Yehudi officials state the dispute is between Shas and Kulanu and it is not involved.

Treasury officials are also opposed to the law, explaining the current wording will interfere with ongoing efforts to reduce the cost of food. They explain if kosher products are being imported and one is required to have Chief Rabbinate approval, then importers will not be permitted to rely solely on the hashgacha appearing on a product from its country of origin and this will lead to additional costs. Such a move would be in direct contradiction with widespread reforms planned by the treasury.

Azaria explains “The wording of the law is problematic and will be troublesome for many businesses. In addition, it represents a significant change in the status quo that has been in place to date. The regulation that compel having Rabbinate kashrus to display any Jewish symbol is problematic and unacceptable. Therefore we requested that Shas change the wording so businesses are not harmed. We have yet to reach such an understanding and therefore the bill has been pushed off. I am confident that working together the bill can be worded in such a way to benefit the general Israeli society”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)