UTJ member signs for taxation on non-kosher meats

Knesset Finance Committee chairman from United Torah Judaism issues ordinance setting tax rates on meat from horses, donkeys, whales, dolphins, seals, and walruses. MK Gafni says, 'No practical significance for non-kosher items in ordinance'

Amnon Meranda|Published: 02.25.10 , 13:54

An ordinance was placed on the Knesset's table last Monday by a United Torah Judaism Knesset member that sets customs rates and exemptions and merchandise tax. However, it turns out that the list includes some unconventional products, and non-kosher ones at that.

Among the items listed in the ordinance are pig meat, meat from horses, donkeys, rabbits, hares, whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, reptiles, crabs, oysters, octopuses, and even snails. Authorization of the tax rates for the list items is none other than Knesset Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni from United Torah Judaism, a detail that has raised quite a stir within the legislature.

The decision will be entered into force starting next week if there is no opposition to the proposal. A number of opinions against the ordinance have already been issued.

MK Arieh Eldad from National Union is opposed to the ordinance in its current formulation. Eldad told Ynet, "Parliamentary life brings us many oddities. When one looks at a tax measure and sees that the Finance Committee chairman from United Torah Judaism is signed on an ordinance stipulating the customs rate to be charged on pig and eel meat, one can understand the haredims' serious dilemma in participating in management of a country that is not run according to halacha."

MK Gafni said in response, "The Tax Authority brought, as it does every year, the customs tax book that deals with international commerce. This book also contains an itemization of pig meat and other non-kosher items. In the world, there is customs tax on pig and other products, and, therefore, it appears in the book. I abstained from the vote in the committee. My signature on the ordinance placed on the Knesset table stems from the force of my being chairman of the Finance Committee."

"According to the law in the State of Israel, as a Jewish state, it is forbidden to import meat unless it has been granted a kosher certificate. Thus, in actuality, this ordinance does not allow non-kosher meat to be imported to Israel.

"The ordinance's purpose is to coordinate the State of Israel with the European standard in particular and the international standard in general and the itemization they use. It is possible that we indeed need to remove the non-kosher items from the ordinance. I recommend that the Tax Authority director remove the non-kosher items from the ordinance, although it is not certain if this is technically possible. In any case, there is no practical significance to the non-kosher items on the list," explained Gafni.