Attorney General Eliyahu Weinstein has submitted his opinion to the Supreme Court pertaining to the state kashrus law. Weinstein reiterated his opinion, that a restaurant has the right to advertise as ‘kosher’ even if it does not have hashgacha from the local rabbinate. Weinstein’s position is in contradiction to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and current efforts by Shas and Yahadut Hatorah to advance a more stringent kashrus law, that will compel restaurants and others to have a local rabbinate hashgacha before it can advertise as ‘kosher’.
On Sunday 3 Menachem Av, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the petition from eateries seeking to challenge the old system by advertising as kosher without having hashgacha from the local rabbinate. Weinstein backs their position.
Weinstein’s position is also likely to result in fines for violations of the kosher law will be dismissed if accepted by the Supreme Court. In addition, if the court accepts the position of the petitioners, it will end the Chief Rabbinate’s control of state kashrus and open the door to any rabbi or agency to certify a business as kosher, compelling consumers to decide if a particular hashgacha is suitable.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
The question we have to ask is … “Is the AG Kosher?”
Who cares he’s destroying trust in the product and the rabbinate
The state of Israel is finally showing their true colors.
They should rename themselves, the state of pork.
What do you expect from the Erev Rav ?
THe restaurants with the highest standards of kashrus or those whose kashrus is supervised by non-government hareidim rabbanim. Under Israeli law, a restaurant with a hecksher from the Eidis Hareidis would not be allowed to advertise itself as being kosher. The best solution is what is done in other countries – the customer has to look at the hecksher and decide whether to accept it.