A special session is expected to take place Thursday in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee's subcommittee, focusing on the entry of non-kosher meat into Israel through the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the growing concern over increased imports of such meat into PA-controlled areas.
Tomer Ben Tzvi, Director of Research at the Kashrut organization "Kosharot," which initiated the discussion, explained: "The 'Meat and Its Products Law' mandates that all meat entering the country must be kosher, meaning it must have a kosher certification from the Chief Rabbinate. Under the Oslo Accords, an alternative route was opened via the Ministry of Economy to allow non-kosher meat designated for the PA. The meat arrives at the port and does not receive kosher certification but receives a special permit from the Economy Ministry and from there it goes to the PA."
"The State Comptroller's report found significant leakage. We're talking about 57-58 percent of the meat that enters via this non-kosher route but does not reach the PA, but instead is diverted to other locations, and from there can end up in kosher or non-kosher restaurants and other destinations," said Ben Tzvi. He added, "This is meat which is much cheaper than kosher meat, so various entities bring it in one way or another into places where it should not be, within the State of Israel's territory."
The session will be held under the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee due to the responsibility of the Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria Affairs, chaired by MK Tzvi Succot. This subcommittee oversees activities in Judea and Samaria and relations with the PA.
"If the meat is leaking, then perhaps we need to reduce the quantity or supervise the quantity. We need to find a solution because right now, no one is monitoring the meat, where it comes from, or where it is going," he said.
Ben Tzvi also explained that comparing the shipping documents upon entry to PA territory reveals a 44% discrepancy between the quantity that arrived at the port and what reached its intended recipients, meaning more than half the goods were diverted along the way and distributed illegally throughout the country.
To make matters worse, it was recently revealed that the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) sent a letter to Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber requesting to increase the quantity of meat entering the PA through an additional channel - meat that has been slaughtered but not yet salted, and is not intended for consumption by Jews, but is still legal to pass customs. This would effectively allow it to enter through what Ben Tzvi calls “the front door.” The implication is that while logic dictates reducing the amount of meat imported to the PA, COGAT is requesting to increase it, even though less than half of the meat reaches its declared destination.
Ben Tzvi pointed out that the PA itself is not requesting 100% of the permitted amount under the Oslo Accords but is satisfied with just 70% of the quantity, further raising questions about the reasons behind COGAT's request to increase the quota.
He emphasized that the concerns raised by this conduct, some of which may involve criminal violations, will be addressed in the special session led by MK Succot.
“He has invited COGAT and other relevant parties to provide answers,” Ben Tzvi said. “We are a lawful nation, and it is unacceptable for there to be bypass routes and a lack of oversight. The end consumer deserves to know that someone is enforcing the law and preventing non-kosher meat from entering.”
Like COGAT, officials from the Ministry of Economy will also be required to address the issues raised by this case. Ben Tzvi explained that responses are needed to what appears to be pressure from various interest groups.
“It could be that daylight will put a stop to this failure and force them to acknowledge the need for more supervisory standards to ensure that meat reaches its intended destination and does not 'leak' along the way, and that authority is not stripped from the Chief Rabbinate through this bypass channel in which there is non-kosher meat with official permits.”
Ben Tzvi also emphasized that the case underscores the importance of having kashrut supervisors from the local authority where a business operates. This ensures oversight of delivery documentation, authenticity of the meat stamps, and verification of the quantities received.