The battle against the state kashrus system continues after the Kulanu party this week prevented a modified kashrus bill authored by the Shas party from advancing. Shas is trying to repair the current reality, which because of an opinion document filed with the Supreme Court by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein permits restaurants to advertise as kosher without local rabbinate hashgacha. Shas’ bill changing the wording to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling permitting the current situation.

Joining Kulanu’s opposition to the Shas bill is the Israel Hoteliers Association, which fears if the Shas bill passes, it will increase the cost of kashrus supervision. The hoteliers are joined by restaurateurs and simcha hall owners, all shouting the cost of kosher it too high. They are lobbying cabinet ministers to block the Shas bill. They sent a letter expressing support for alternative hashgachos, those supervising agencies other than the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which is represented by local rabbinates nationwide.

They insist that “giving the Chief Rabbinate and/or a local rabbi a monopoly” has resulted in increased kashrus costs. They feel that any legislation that would add stringencies are unacceptable since the latter will be accompanied by increased costs. They insist regarding hotels, kashrus represents 3% of a hotel’s operation costs.

Noaz Bar-Nir, who heads the Hotel Association adds “Tourism in Israel is expensive and one factor is the cost of kashrus. A public committee met in the Ministry of Tourism, probing the cost per person for a tourist in Israel as compared to tourists in Europe. The committee decided kashrus costs must be reduced. The government adopted the recommendations of the committee as well’.

Hence they are calling on the members of the Ministerial Law Committee to oppose the Shas bill.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)