A bill sponsored by MK Carmel Shama (Likud) takes aim at overcharging for popcorn and sodas in movie theaters.
The bill is to be brought before the Knesset after the Passover break. It would set up a mechanism for limiting the prices of food and drinks at any large scale entertainment event, including snacks sold from automatic vending machines. Inspectors from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor would be responsible for its enforcement, and violators would be heavily fined.
“We have to put an end to this. The public should not have to mortgage their houses for a soft drink and a snack," Shama told Yediot Aharonot newspaper.
However, the paper also quoted Yaacov Cohen, owner of one of Israel's largest movie theater chains, who claimed that cinema owners made virtually no profit from ticket sales. Limiting the price of snacks “would destroy the entire industry," he warned.
Profits from refreshments go directly to the movie theater, while ticket revenues are shared with movie distributors.