| Media PRESS
RELEASE June 20, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact person: Richard
H. Schwartz ([email protected]; Phone
(718) 761-5876; Fax: (718) 982-3631.) JEWISH GROUP UNVEILS PLAN TO REDUCE
PORK EATING IN ISRAEL As part of its campaign to reduce the production
and consumption of meat and other animal products, the Jewish Vegetarians of North
America (JVNA) today unveiled a plan to reduce pork consumption in Israel, a plan
that would have the further benefits of improving the health of Israelis, reducing
the mistreatment of animals, reducing environmental degradation, and showing the
relevance of Judaism's
teachings. While the consumption of pork is
forbidden under Jewish law, and many Israeli municipalities have limited or forbidden
the sale of pork, many secular Jews and non-Jews in Israel desire to eat pork.
This, along with a number of other disputes related to Sabbath observance, marriage
requirements, and other issues, has led to battles between observant Jews and
secular Israelis over the role of religion in daily life, a battle that has become
heated in recent years. The Israeli Supreme Court decided on June 14, 2004
that Israeli municipalities must permit the sale of pork where a majority of residents
demand it, a ruling hailed as a victory by secular rights activists. Orthodox
Jews warned that the decision would undermine the nation's Jewish identity.
The nine-judge Supreme Court panel annulled existing local laws and said new regulations
must be devised to reflect the true wishes of residents. The judges indicated
that, in neighborhoods where a majority of residents want to buy it, pork sales
must be permitted. The judges also ruled that in neighborhoods where pork-buying
residents are a minority, they must be able to have easy access to areas where
it is sold. In response to the Israeli Supreme Court ruling, and in an
attempt to find a solution consistent with Jewish values that would have potential
benefits for all concerned, Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) today urged
Israeli rabbis to investigate the realities of the production and consumption
of animal-based products and to recommend that Jews reduce or eliminate the production
and consumption of meat and other animal products, since they violate basic Jewish
mandates to protect human health, treat animals compassionately, preserve the
environment, conserve natural resources, and help hungry people. While secular
Jews and non-Jews are unlikely to consider rabbinic statements, many of them would
be influenced by the discussions related to the pronouncements, which would make
them more aware of the negative health, environmental, humane, and other effects
of animal-based diets and "livestock" agriculture, especially if health
professionals, nutritionists, environmentalists, and other experts reinforced
the rabbinic statements. While JVNA believes that people have a choice
re their diets, a lack of awareness by many Jews and others of the many negative
effects of consuming meat and other animal products has resulted in heavy consumption
of these products. This has contributed significantly to an epidemic of heart
disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases; air and water pollution, soil
erosion, global climate change, rapid species extinction, destruction of tropical
rain forests and other habits, widening water shortages, and many more environmental
threats. Hence JVNA believes that the adoption of this proposal by Israeli rabbis
and experts on dietary-related issues would be a tremendous kiddush Hashem (sanctification
of God's Name), in that it would have great potential to improve the health of
Israelis (and others, who would be impressed by it) and our imperiled planet,
revitalize Judaism by showing the relevance of eternal Torah values, and reduce
disputes between religious and secular Jews.
###Jewish
Vegetarians of North America represents a broad coalition of rabbis, scholars,
experts, and active members of the Jewish community in advocating vegetarianism
as a Jewish ideal. |
