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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 21:51 19/10/2007 MKs threaten to topple Chief Rabbinate kashrut monopoly By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent Legislators from Kadima and the National Religious Party threatened the Chief Rabbinate Council Thursday that unless a solution is found to the crisis over shmita produce in secular communities, they would initiate a bill to remove the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly over kashrut licenses. The crisis emerged following what appears to be a decision by rabbis in secular cities to strictly enforce a ban on produce produced by Jews during the shmita year, a sabbatical year in which the land in Israel is supposed to lie fallow. The rabbis demand that shops and restaurants wishing to retain their kashrut license must offer only imported fruits and vegetables with the strictest kosher approval (Mehadrin). R Advertisement epresentatives from the Chief Rabbinate Council met Thursday with Kadima and NRP MKs to discuss the crisis. The MKs warned that unless the rabbinate provides a solution to the impasse, which reached a crisis point when kashrut licenses were withdrawn from shops, the Knesset would propose a bill to remove the council's monopoly on the issuing of kashrut licenses. Nearly half of the 15 council members did not participate in the meeting, but the council promised to offer a response later Friday. Prior to the meeting, Rabbi Moshe Rachberger, a rabbi in a Haifa neighborhood, rejected the complaints of farmers that strict adherence to halakhic (Jewish law) practices is being imposed in 12 cities. The farmers have taken their case to the High Court of Justice. "There are only two or three cities where the rabbis are not willing to accept the sale permit [heter mechira], and two or three cities is not significant to the citizens of Israel. Are the residents of Herzliya or Ashdod complaining?" he said. Herzliya's rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Yaakobowitz, told Haaretz Thursday that the decision to impose Mehadrin produce, which costs significantly more, has not harmed the residents. He claims that the residents of Herzliya "are all happy about this." When asked about the petition to the High Court, the rabbi said that "it is all about someone who wants to benefit from the petition." More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us A Palestinian gesture The top PA diplomat in Poland joined his Israeli counterpart on a visit to Auschwitz. Link to Temple found A controversial Temple Mount dig unearthed fragments from the First Temple.   1.   kashruth 16:01  |  fish 19/10/07   2.   kashruth 16:06  |  fish 19/10/07   3.   "Threaten" to remove the monopoly? Why is there one? 16:12  |  B`Galil 19/10/07   4.   MKs to Provide Kashrut Competition 17:01  |  Amused 19/10/07   5.   resp to amused 17:21  |  justayid 19/10/07   6.   kashrut monoply 18:54  |  Robert Rockaway 19/10/07   7.   kashrut laws for all 18:54  |  Carrie 19/10/07   8.   You miss the point Fish 19:10  |  B`Galil 19/10/07   9.   kashrut monopoly 19:40  |  the boss 19/10/07   10.   to no 6 19:41  |  fish 19/10/07   11.   No Monopoly for any Rabbinate 20:35  |  Michael Greenberg 19/10/07   12.   in the tanakh moshe tells us what meats are fit for food 00:35  |  yahn goodey 20/10/07   13.   kashrut solution 01:19  |  avrumiye 20/10/07   14.   There is no gray 17:49  |  Jose Lopez 22/10/07

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