Israel's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Chief Rabbinate have reversed course after an authorization was granted to the Tzohar organization to issue kashrut certificates, according to a report by journalist Bini Ashkenazi on Thursday. The reversal follows anger within the ministry over the move.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Chief Rabbinate have backtracked on a decision to authorize the Tzohar organization to issue kashrut certificates, according to a report published Thursday by journalist Bini Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi reported that the initial authorization had been granted, sparking anger within the Religious Affairs Ministry — which administers state kashrut — leading the rabbinate to reverse the decision. As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, Ministry Director General Yehuda Avidan had claimed the authorization was invalid; the new report indicates the broader reversal is now confirmed. The episode highlights ongoing tensions between the state rabbinate, which holds a monopoly on kashrut certification, and Tzohar, a religious-Zionist rabbinical organization that has long advocated for competition in the kashrut market. No official statement from the Rabbinate has yet been published.
3 developments
- StrongTzohar: Religious Affairs Ministry director has no authority over kashrut certification
- DevelopingChief Rabbinate certifies Tzohar as official kashrut body following High Court ruling
- DevelopingChief Rabbi David Yosef says no woman will receive a certificate of kosher supervision under his tenure
- DevelopingChief Rabbi Bar defends kashrut reform bill at Knesset committee
Source and signal
- Internal intake