Matan Kahane's Kashrut Reform: The Knesset plenum approved on first reading this evening (Tuesday) the bill seeking to repeal the provisions allowing private kosher bodies to provide supervision services and kosher certificates.
The bill effectively returns exclusive control over the kashrut system to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and is a step towards undoing former Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahane's reform in the field of kashrut.
The Shas faction, which initiated the cancellation of the kashrut reform, responded: "Approval of the Kashrut Fraud Law in first reading is an important step towards repairing the damage caused by Matan Kahane's destructive kashrut reform, which damaged the status of the Chief Rabbinate and created confusion among the consumer public.".
According to Shas, "the law strengthens the status of the Chief Rabbinate as the authorized and responsible body for kashrut in the State of Israel.".
"Shas will continue to work to strengthen religious services and the Jewish character of the country.".
The chairman of the Shas faction, MK Yinon Azoulay, said in his speech at the Knesset plenary debate on the Kashrut law: "You can't come and smear an entire public and say that they are all thieves, liars and fraudsters. Maybe that's good for election slogans, but the public in Israel deserves the truth and not slander.".
""The majority of the people of Israel, a traditional and tradition-observing public, seeks to consume food with proper and reliable kosher certification, and it is our responsibility to ensure this. We are leading the kashrut law in order to strengthen the system, streamline it, and provide better and more reliable service to the public.".
