Jul 22, 2021
Right before shmitta maybe Lieberman is good for the Jews!
According to Reuters, the Finance Ministry has now published its plan to lower the prices of fresh produce by opening up the system for more imports - cutting import duties and opening it up for competition.
Israeli farmers have benefited until now by being protected from competition with imports tightly limited, quotas enforced (such as on egg production) and various subsidies. According to the ministry in recent years prices of fresh produce have increased by upwards of 80%. This year summer fruit have been notably expensive. Whenever prices go up they give excuses of water shortages, temperature fluctuations, unusual rain patterns, etc... yet it seems the prices just keep going up. the Israeli farmer has been protected while the consumer has not been.
In my opinion, competition is always good (for the consumer). By limiting the competition, the Israeli consumer has been limited in what it could buy and has had to pay a high price for it. Competition will force Israeli farmers to compete, to innovate and to produce even better produce and to make the prices more competitive.
But my question is, the origin of the hetter mechira for shmittta was, and is, that the Israeli farmers need to be protected for the security of the country. If the State is going to stop protecting the farmers in all other ways by opening imports and no longer propping them up, is the hetter mechira still relevant? And I am asking as someone who is not anti-hetter mechira. If the State decides that we no longer need to protect farmers, we don't need that agricultural security any longer, perhaps the hetter and need for hetter mechira also go away as it too was based on protecting the farmers.
While I wonder about my question, this opening up for imports is good news for those shmitta observant who prefer non-Jewish produced produce. Good timing. Maybe Lieberman si good for the Jews after all!
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Benny Friedman - Хорошо - Charasho | (Official Music Video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Jul 21, 2021
Street Survey with Oded Menashe: should we restrict large events and close airport because of Corona spreading? (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Lenny Solomon Live (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
"Vhaarev Na" along with S.Y. Rechnitz, Baruch Levine, and Eitan Katz Presents “KULANU” (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Jul 20, 2021
kashrut reforms coming
Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahane announced a short while ago that he will be introducing reforms to the kashrut industry. Essentially he will be turning the Rabbanut into a regulator while kashrut is privatized. Basically anyone can give kashrut certification and the Rabbanut will set a variety of standards, and monitor and ensure that the various kashrut organizations live up to the standards it chose to certify with.
Additionally, kashrut organizations will be allowed to certify restaurants that are open and operating on Shabbos, if three municipal rabbis give it permission to operate.
Kahane says there will no longer be a need for double (or more) certification - until now every food or restaurant had to minimally have a Rabbanut hechsher by law, and if they wanted a private hechsher as well, they still had to have the Rabbanut and only above that a private one. Now they will only need to pay for one, and the Rabbanut will be the regulator.
source: INN
Bennett's people have promoted this idea for a long time, so it is not a surprise.
I do not know what might be wrong with it. Municipal rabbis are appointed by the Rabbanut, so I am not sure what the fear is of giving them power to give kashrut in other cities or to give special permission (such as for opening on Shabbos or for setting different standards).
the only opposition I have heard so far is from the Haredi politicians, but I haven't heard an explanation form them of what is wrong - just that Kahane and Bennett are dismantling the kashrut in Israel. Again, I don't know what is wrong with this arrangement. Anyways, they who oppose the move (so far) don't even rely on the Rabbanut hechsher (and many say it isnt even kosher to begin with), so I am not sure why removing that hechsher and having them regulate other certification standards instead is so bad.
I just dont get the argument against giving too much power or authority to rabbis appointed by the Rabbanut instead of leaving that power centralized by the Rabbanut. if you think the Rabbanut should hold the power, what is so bad about the rabbis the Rabbanut appointed? The same argument is used when discussing changes to the conversion system, and I dont understand the complaint there either.
the big issue I think is that I dont see who will step in to replace the Rabbanut and give basic kashrut certification. The competition will be to say I am the best mehadrin hechsher, not I give the basic kashrut level. And this might be the end of non-glatt meat, among other things
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Headline of the Day
Miss Universe competition coming to Israel
this is going to go over well...
Does Donald Trump still own the Miss Universe competition? If he does, it might pass quietly with no protest, but if he doesnt...
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
price of disposables, chad paami, to go up to hurt Haredim and save the environment
In an effort to make changes that will improve the environment, or at least cause less damage to it, Minister of Environment Protection Tamar Zandberg, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance Avigdor Lieberman, has said that they are looking into imposing a steep tax on disposable utensils - plastic plates, cups, straws, forks, etc.
While the exact size of the tax has not yet been decided, or announced, they have studied the matter and have determined that a steep tax could cause a decrease in the use of disposable utensils by as much as 40%. the expected level of the tax is that the prices will be doubled, but that is not official as the exact tax has not been finalized or announced.
If they decide to move ahead with this, it would be going into effect in 2022.
We all know these plastic goods are bad for the environment, but we use them because of the convenience, and they are generally cheap enough to make it worthwhile.
According to the studies, the average Israeli household consumes 7.5kg of disposable plastic goods per person, with sales of nearly 2 billion shekels a year. This is 5 times the amount consumed in the European Union.
According to Knesset studies, 95% of Haredi families use these disposable utensils [regularly], while 57% of the secular population uses them.
Haredi politicians are looking at this as another attack on Haredim rather than as an attempt to do something good for the environment. It seems they, or some, think that the alternative is paying more for disposable utensils and increasing the cost of Haredi living, rather than using less disposables and more regular dishes and cutlery. This could save people a lot of money as it could encourage them to use real dishes and wash them rather than pay significantly higher prices.
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Interview with Ben & Jerry's Israel CEO (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
MK Moshe Abutbol on the issue of flights to Uman and CoronaVirus (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Jacob Steinmetz Becomes First Orthodox Jew Drafted into MLB (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Who Is Not Jewish? (video)
weird
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Duvy Burston-SEARCHING FOR YOU (cover by CHAYA KOGAN) For women and girls only (video)
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Jul 19, 2021
punishing Unilever
MK Moshe Arbel (Shas) has put out a statement in light of the Ben & Jerry's recent announcement to not renew the license of the current manufacturer in Israel and to stop selling in the Occupied Territories.
Arbel is calling on the various mehadrin kashrut certifiers to withdraw certification from all Unilever products, the parent company of Ben & Jerry's, sold in Israel.
This would be a big blow to Unilever, but why stop at mehadrin certifications? Why not call on the Rabbanut to withdraw certification as well?
I also want to know if Unilever is going to stop selling all their products in the "Occupied Territories" or just Ben & Jerry's? And if just B&J, why is that product different than all the others they sell?
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Et Tu Ben & Jerry?
Ben & Jerry was always a company with Leftist ideas in relation to Israel, but there was never a need to be upset at them because the franchisee in Israel operated independently of the mothership. Ben & Jerry's in Israel sold, sells, good kosher ice cream, with some mehadrin flavors and distributes all over Israel. Despite the well known policies of the parent company.
That seems to be coming to an end.
Ben & Jerry's put out a statement today:
Ben & Jerry’s Will End Sales of Our Ice Cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
July 19, 2021We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). We also hear and recognize the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.
We have a longstanding partnership with our licensee, who manufactures Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Israel and distributes it in the region. We have been working to change this, and so we have informed our licensee that we will not renew the license agreement when it expires at the end of next year.
Although Ben & Jerry’s will no longer be sold in the OPT, we will stay in Israel through a different arrangement. We will share an update on this as soon as we’re ready.
I don't call for boycotts, but I don't like this.
Ben & Jerry's Israel has pushed back releasing a statement saying this is unacceptable and ice cream is apolitical. I am not sure how much power they will have n this, considering the B&J statement. We shall see what will happen...
I think it is fair to add that "boycotting" them now will only hurt the current licensee and his employees who are producing and selling all over Israel, including Judea and Samaria and trying to oppose the change, and is seemingly being punished for that (by not having his license renewed in 1.5 years). if you are going to stop buying B&J because of this change in policy, I might suggest you take into consideration to continue buying it for the next year and a half until the license expires, to continue supporting the current licensee, and only after the new policy goes into effect stop buying the ice cream...
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the Day
My friend, as someone for whom the good of the State of Israel is at the forefront of his concerns - join us in establishing a national government without the Left and without representatives of the Islamic Movement - and thereby save the citizens of Israel from these evil government.
-- MK Miki Zohar (Likud) to Defense Minister Benny Gantz, after reports yesterday had MK Netanyahu trying to persuade Gantz to abandon ship and join Likud in forming a government with Gantz serving first as PM in a rotation arrangement
I have no problem with them trying to persuade Gantz to abandon ship and form a government with the Likud. That's politics and part of the game.
that being said, the offer shows the hypocrisy of the Likud.
The two biggest complaints of the Likdu against Bennett, that they keep repeating again and again, are that 1) Bennett only has 6/7 mandates and it is unethical for him to be prime minister as head of a 6 mandate party, and 2) Bennett broke campaign promises to become Prime Minister and form this government.
Gantz heads a party of 8 MKs. it would be no more or less ethical for him to serve as Prime Minister than it is for Bennett.
And, Gantz has promised not to sit with Netanyahu - both in the elections and after and even repeated it after since the government has been formed. It would be no more ethical for him to break his promise to become PM than it was for Bennett to break his.
yet for the Likud it is all ok as long as it serves their interests. they arent really upset at anything Bennett did and they have no moral high ground to play, as they try the same games. This time they happened to lose at it and that is what they are upset at.
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Related Posts
