The Israeli Civil Service Commission decided to provide kosher, supervised and protected mobile devices (smartphones), but only one relatively high cost model was available to the workers. MK Yaakov Margi approached the purchasing unit in order to allow a wide range of kosher devices.

Why does the government procurement unit discriminate against chareidim? Last week, the government procurement unit notified government employees that they can replace their mobile devices with kosher / controlled / supervised devices.

The announcement on the 3rd of Av was a significant one, since many chareidi employees who serve in various positions in the civil service could not enjoy the benefit that every employee is entitled to, a smartphone. The government purchasing unit decided to provide employees with smartphones controlled by Badatz Bnei Brak. And it provided them with a variety of quality models from various companies operating under the supervision of the Badatz Bnei Brak.

In the category of ‘kosher with keyboard’ (old phone), the only option is 18 NIS with an 18-month commitment and there are no other models. Many employees turned to the purchasing unit wondering why many other kosher models are not offered, while they are still available in the marketplace.

When this became known to MK Yaakov Margi of Shas, who chairs the Knesset Education & Sport Committee, he turned to Mr. Nissim Tzarfarti with a request to please consider enlarging the selection of kosher phones for the growing number of chareidi government employees.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)