A Jewish state? Forer works to establish pig slaughterhouses across the country

August 30, 2022   

Agriculture Minister Oded Forer of Yisrael Beiteinu is working to remove restrictions on pig slaughter, to allow slaughterhouses to be established throughout the country. Currently, animal disease and animal slaughter regulations allow for the establishment of pig farms in three locations in the country - A'ablin, Me'ilia, and at the research institute near Kibbutz Lahav. Want to know if your details are correct on the voter register? You'll find the answer here. In the draft amendment to the regulations that Porer formulated and published this morning (Tuesday) on the B network, the geographical restriction is removed and it will be possible to establish slaughterhouses for pigs anywhere, with the only condition being compliance with veterinary requirements. "There are currently no professional reasons for limiting slaughterhouses to only those localities," the draft states, noting that this will lead to increased competition in the industry. This step is part of a comprehensive move that will allow the establishment of slaughterhouses for cattle and sheep throughout the country. The Ministry of Agriculture stated: "This is a restriction that was amended about 20 years ago and allowed the establishment of factories in a list of places, some of which are not at all relevant today. Removing the geographical restriction will allow the factories to be established in areas adapted for this, as long as they meet the requirements of veterinary services, which are intended to optimally protect public health, animal health, and minimize unnecessary suffering for the animals." It was also stated: "In order to work to reduce the cost of living, the ministry worked to remove the geographical restriction, which will lead to increased competition between factories, and thereby lead to lower prices and make meat accessible to the entire population in Israel, including non-Jewish Israeli citizens. Regarding religious aspects, one should contact the Ministry of Religious Affairs." MK Moshe Arbel responded in an interview with Aryeh Golan on the program This Morning on Channel B, and said that he contacted the Minister of Agriculture about the matter. According to him, the reality today, where pigs can be raised for food in two Christian communities, is balanced, and the change that Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman is trying to make is undemocratic. "We are a Jewish state, where are all the bodies that have animal rights in mind?"'