Protestors outside Minister Kahana's house
Protestors outside Minister Kahana's houseselfie

Dozens of opponents of the kashrut reform are demonstrating near the house of Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana in Moshav Beit Gamliel.

The protesters claim that the reform "will lead to a catastrophe for the kosher-observant public and will cause an irreversible schism in Israel's Jewish community."

The demonstrators arrived at the scene with cages of mice and rabbits with certificates declaring them kosher under the supervision of Matan Kahana.

As part of the protest, protesters grilled shrimp and seafood near the minister's house in order to illustrate that if a kosher reform is approved, it will cause real and immediate damage to the kosher community and could lead to prohibited food being sold in any supermarket that had purchased a kosher certification from a private provider.

Dozens of Mashgichim (individuals charged with supervising the kosher status of an institution) joined the protest as well, decrying the loss of income that they are likely to suffer as a result of the reform.

Rabbi Dror Aryeh, chairman of the Hazon movement, commented "Jews throughout history have agreed to give up their lives when forced to eat non-kosher meat, and now Kahana and Lieberman want to bring about a reform that will cause the public to eat forbidden foods. One of the severest prohibitions in our holy Torah may crumble under the auspices of coalition agreements. We will do everything to overthrow this evil law "