Israel's 'Pig Law'
By JONATHAN SHILOH
(Copyright, 1956, JTA, Inc.)
Holiday Greetings
EARL SCHILL
COINS & STAMPS
Wholesale Distributors of
Coin and Stamp Supplies
Michigan Representatives
of Scot Minkus Harris,
Washington Press,
Whitman, etc.
110 JOHN R ..WO 1-1154
JERUSALEM — Should ob-
servant Jews prevent non-ob-
servant Jews from eating pork?
Theoretically, this question
may never be answered. Ob-
servant Jews will answer "yes,"
and reinforce their viewpoint
with an endless string of quo-
tations and proof from religious
sources. Anyone accepting these
sources must accept their argu-
ments. But non-observant Jews,
who do n o t accept these
sources, will answer "no" and
raise the banner of religious
freedom, civil rights and free-
dom of conscience.
In reality, Israel is decid-
ing the question in favor of
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New . Year Greetings
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st
the religious Jews. The Knes-
set recently concluded the
first reading of the Local
Authorities L a w (Special
Authorization) which permits
individual cities, towns and
districts- to enact legislation
in line with their views. Un-
doubtedly, the law will pass
its second and third readings
in the Knesset when. that
body reconvenes this fall.
The law comes to patch up
a legal loophole recently un-
covered by the Supreme Court
Most of the local authorities
had already adopted by-laws
regulating the sale of pork
when a resident in Tel Aviv
appealed against the by-law
on the grounds that it had
been passed on religious
grounds. The Supreme Court
upheld his viewpoint, adding
that the regulation of pork
could only be done by an Act
of the Knesset permitting the
local authorities to take steps
in this matter or by an Act
which would become a national
law. The religious parties pre-
pared a law permitting the
local authorities to deal with
the problem as they saw fit.
They submitted this law to the
Knesset for approval.
The law is not a "blanket
law," outlawing outright the
sale of pork or banning pig
breeding. It permits individual
places to adopt legislation in
line with their views.
For example, in one district,
which is predominantly non
observant, a by-law may state
that pork may be sold freely.
In another, like Jerusalem, the
by-law will impose severe reg-
ulations on the sale of pork,
probably permitting it only in
one "public market." Thus
there will be only one place
in the entire city which can
deal in pig meat. It will cater
mainly to the capital's Chris-
tian population—consuls, their
staffs, U.N. personnel and visi-
tors. In effect, Jews will not
have access to pork in Jeru-
salem.
Passing by-laws will become
a matter for political dicker-
ing. For in no city or town
are observant Jews in the ma-
jority. Therefore the religious
parties, when they are mem-
bers of coalitions, will have to
make "deals" with other politi-
cal parties to assure passage
of the by-law. The price the
religious parties will have to
pay will vary from place to
place, depending upon their rel-
ative strength vis-a-vis the
other parties. The attitudes of
the latter, whether they are
fighting the by-law on anti-re-
ligious grounds (the left So-
cialist parties) or on civil
rights (the Center parties)
must also be considered. For
the left Socialist parties—de-
spite the slogan that "religion
is the opium of the masses"—
will be much easier to deal
with.
In Jerusalem, where the
religious parties are relative-
ly strong, the by-law will
most certainly pass, although
echoes of the fierce debate
will be heard in every Jew-
ish community throughout
the world. In the Capital, the
cry of the opposition will be
on grounds of civil rights,
since the left, labor parties
are weak. Not so in Haifa,
where the left labor parties
are strong. Here the fight
will be fought on anti-reli-
gious grounds.
What will happen with the
fall of the coalition which
passes the by-law? If the new
coalition is composed of the
left labor and center parties,
will the by-law be repealed?
In all probability, no. The new
coalition will use other means
to bring about the desired
ends. Inspectors will not be
sent to enforce the by-law. It
will remain "alive" on the
books, but "dead" in effect.
The arguments of the reli-
gious Jews in fighting for the
ban of pork are well known.
Not so those advocating civil
rights or favoring anti-roll-
gious laws. They claim that it
will lead to a black market in
pig meat; it will awaken and
intensify hatred of religion; and
it will deprive Israel, which is
short of meat, of a cheap
source.
All these arguments are true.
But not to the extent claimed.
There will be a black market,
but it will be small; hatred of
the religious parties will grow,
but in all likelihood the "pork"
issue will be used to fan this
hatred out of all normal pro-
portions.
The economic argument, how-
ever, is valid. Still, it is a
price to be paid. And most
Israelis, religious or not, are
willing to pay it. But will they
be so willing to pay the price
of some other things "demanded
by the religious parties, like
religious education for every-
one and a complete traffic ban
on Saturdays?
New Year Greetings
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39-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Frid ay, September 7, 1956
Without economy none can be
rich, and with it few will be
poor. —Samuel Johnson