Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, has asserted that the authorization granted to the Tzohar organization to issue kashrut certificates is invalid, according to a report by journalist Bini Ashkenazi on Thursday.
The claim by Avidan, reported Thursday by journalist Bini Ashkenazi, targets the authorization given by Yehuda Cohen, the former Director General of the Chief Rabbinate, to the Tzohar organization. Tzohar, a religious-Zionist group, operates a parallel kashrut system that competes with the state Rabbinate's monopoly.
Avidan is the subject of an ongoing police investigation by Lahav 433, as The Zioneer previously reported on June 7. That investigation centers on allegations he blocked the firing of a Shas-affiliated employee — a case his lawyers say stems from a religious council head's complaint. Avidan was later released to house arrest. Thursday's statement is the first time Avidan has directly weighed in on the kashrut dispute since the investigation became public.
The assertion carries significant implications for the ongoing struggle over kashrut supervision in Israel, which has pitted the Chief Rabbinate against Tzohar and other reform-minded groups. The exact legal basis for Avidan's claim remains unclear, and it is not yet known whether the statement represents official ministry policy or a personal opinion.
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- DevelopingReligious Affairs Ministry Director Released to House Arrest
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