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Shas Chairman Eli Yishai (Motti Kimche) Last update - 19:34 14/04/2008 Itzik: Passover bread ban is for Knesset, not courts, to decide By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: bread ban, Knesset, Passover  Knesset Speaker Dahlia Itzik, addressing a special session of the house on Monday, declared that the issue of selling bread and other religiously prohibited foods during the Passover week is for the Knesset and not the courts to decide. The special session, which interrupted the Knesset recess, was called to debate a recent court ruling which appeared to give a green light to sales of chametz (foods forbidden on Passover). Jewish law forbids consumption of leavened bread and a range of other foods beginning on Passover, which begins this year on April 19. The Jerusalem Court ruling on the issue of chametz does not correlate to or match the original intentions of the law, Itzik told the house. "The issue at hand belongs to the Knesset and not to the courts," she said. "It is this Knesset that must decide." Advertisement The session was called on the initiative of religious MK Shmuel Halpert (United Torah Judaism), who said that eating chametz was a sin punishable by death or excommunication. Jerusalem Municipal Court Judge Tamar Bar Asher-Zaban ruled recently that Israeli law permitted selling hametz in groceries, restaurants and pizzerias during the Passover holiday. The judge said the businesses included in her ruling were not considered "public" places by law, and therefore the selling of hametz in those places does not fall under the "matzot" law which prohibits the public selling of hametz. Immediately after the ruling was made public, the religious and haredi factions put forward a bill intended to neutralize the ruling. The Knesset met Sunday to discuss the proposal, but the attempt to change the ruling failed. Ultra-Orthodox cabinet minister Yitzhak Cohen presented his bill to the cabinet for sponsorship, but the cabinet declained to discuss his proposal for administrative reasons. According to Interior Minister Meir Shitrit of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party, "You cannot impose a lifestyle by means of legislation." Trade Minister Eli Yishai, head of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi Shas party, stressed that the religious and haredi parties will insist the law be changed. During the meeting Yishai added that the bill his party would prepare would be decisive and will not leave room for further interpretation. Yishai said the people of Israel find the selling of chametz on Pesach "repellent" and that the public will surely ignore the "bizarre" court decision. "Shas, the messenger of Israel, means to change the new Chametz laws. We will struggle to pass our bill quickly, even if it means going against the government," he said. Related Articles: Shas minister: We must get rid of court like chametz All in favor / Itzik clears out the chametz Yishai: Chametz sale is 'stain on Jewish identity' More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   A gentleman's word Olmert tells Haaretz he knows Iran won't have nuclear capacity. Farewell to arms B'Tselem says IDF must ban wide-range shell that killed civilians in Gaza.   1.   Shas dictating once again to the general public 14:06  |  SJ 14/04/08   2.   Punishable by Death? No folks this is still Israel 14:10  |  Citizen Joe 14/04/08   3.   CONSIDERING dividing Jerusaleim is... 14:12  |  Jeff 14/04/08   4.   Chametz, Passover, and politics 14:14  |  justme 14/04/08   5.   So if u eat a donut next week, you get killed? 14:27  |  Aphemia 14/04/08   6.   I think I`ll take my chances in Iran 14:37  |  Stephen of New York 14/04/08   7.   Israel is not a Theocracy, it is a democracy, 14:46  |  superjew 14/04/08   8.   Leavened food: Religious, just don`t buy! 14:47  |  Ulf 14/04/08   9.   The Deed to Israel 14:50  |  Ivri Anochi 14/04/08   10.   public places 14:58  |  Shmuel 14/04/08   11.   1. No SJ - The General Public overwhelmingly eat Matzah 14:59  |  S Judah 14/04/08   12.   6 Yes if you are Nutri Karta you great chance in iran 15:02  |  S Judah 14/04/08   13.   7 Yes superjew and the majority eat matza. 15:07  |  S Judah 14/04/08   14.   The Clows at Haaretz Editorial, are at it again 15:10  |  Buzaglow 14/04/08   15.   LMFAO @ The Religous Freaks. Get a grip Jews 15:10  |  *BEN JABO 14/04/08   16.   Chametz NO, Gays OK???? 15:13  |  AnakAdeen 14/04/08   17.   Chametz 15:19  |  Mark 14/04/08   18.   MK Shmuel Halpert is ignorant of the Torah n/t 15:22  |  JonathanInTelAviv 14/04/08   19.   S Judah, you have not clue how democracy works 15:31  |  Dan 14/04/08   20.   11: Orwellian ignorance 15:39  |  David Teich 14/04/08   21.   Thanks Judas # 11 but i still believe in personal freedom 15:47  |  SJ 14/04/08   22.   Passover Bread Ban is Nobody`s Business. 16:00  |  MIKE 14/04/08   23.   In a democracy, you can legislate the nations diet 16:48  |  Jo Jo 14/04/08   24.   What if it`s impossible to by Matzos for Pesach? 17:00  |  B. Schaepdryver 14/04/08   25.   The most important weakness of any democracy 17:10  |  Kris Lazar 14/04/08   26.   It is not the Matzot, stupid.. 17:12  |  Buzaglow 14/04/08   27.   Read the Torah & Jewish books if you want to know.... 17:13  |  Jewish State 14/04/08   28.   Oye wye is mir... (=Oh dearie me...) 17:22  |  Esther 14/04/08   29.   bread ban 17:35  |  Arlene Krantz 14/04/08   30.   To S. Judah- revolt 17:38  |  Dan Benbrit 14/04/08   31.   Itzik exaggerates: there`s no "death" penalty here 18:43  |  Israel 14/04/08   32.   To Clown Ishay: I still alive and well-communicating 18:44  |  Alex 14/04/08   33.   So let me get this straight 19:22  |  Joey Tribbiani 14/04/08   34.   Oh good grief!!! 19:29  |  Lynn 14/04/08   35.   28 Dan, don`t start this how do I know in London business. 19:52  |  S Judah 14/04/08   36.   Esther, no this is getting boring, the athiests are making noise. 20:08  |  S Judah 14/04/08   37.   # 13 s.judah 20:56  |  Axel 14/04/08   38.   To #34, S.Juda, Fairy Tales 00:11  |  Dan Benbrit 15/04/08   39.   38 A lot of words Dan, lets see waht you said. 13:29  |  S Judah 15/04/08   40.   39: Judah, so many things wrong with so few words 13:59  |  David Teich 15/04/08   41.   39 David - My aren`t we techy ? 16:53  |  S Judah 15/04/08   42.   41: No, Judah, I`m teichie... 21:26  |  David Teich 15/04/08   43.   No death penalty for eating Hametz 22:38  |  Avi Yerushalmi 15/04/08   44.   42 David , You are ranting again. 01:37  |  S Judah 16/04/08   45.   44: Wow, Judah, haven`t you realized there`s more than 14:46  |  David Teich 18/04/08

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