8.5 tons of beef and 1.5 tons of lamb fat were apprehended on Sunday night on the Dead Sea Road by health inspectors. The apprehension of the treif meat was due to accurate intelligence information informing authorities the meat was being transported from PA (Palestinian Authority) areas in Chevron to the south, even informing them the vehicle which would be transporting the meat. The driver is identified as a 30-year-old Arab resident of eastern Jerusalem.

Health officials continue to urge shoppers to only purchase meat in known reliable stores for both health reasons which obviously also apply to kashrus concerns.

It is not uncommon for PA (Palestinian Authority) residents to attempt to smuggle non-kosher meat to the Israeli marketplace. In addition, PA farmers frequently try to bring other items to sale in Israel, which in the past have included contaminated eggs, as well as vegetables found with alarming high levels of e-coli, from irrigation in sewage water.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)