Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Condemns Controversial Kashrut Approval for Tzohar Organization

Chief Rabbi of Safed and member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, has strongly criticized outgoing Chief Rabbinate CEO Yehuda Cohen for his plan to grant a broad and unprecedented kashrut certification to the organization Tzohar. Rabbi Eliyahu described the move as a "scandalous takeover" carried out without professional examination or legal authorization. He emphasized that the certification Cohen seeks to issue is unprecedented nationwide and that no other body in Israel has ever received such extensive approval.

Rabbi Eliyahu accused Cohen of making the decision without thorough review by relevant professional bodies, noting that no feasibility studies or evaluations of Tzohar's kashrut procedures were conducted. He questioned whether these procedures meet the mandatory standards of the Chief Rabbinate or if Tzohar possesses the necessary technical capabilities. According to Rabbi Eliyahu, this rapid political maneuver appears to be a last-minute unilateral action by Cohen as he concludes his tenure.

The Chief Rabbinate Council and the Chief Rabbis of Israel have explicitly stated that Cohen’s certification lacks any halachic or legal validity since it was issued without their approval. Subsequently, the Chief Rabbinate retracted and canceled Tzohar's license. Rabbi Eliyahu concluded with harsh criticism of Cohen’s overall conduct during his term, accusing him of damaging Israel’s kashrut system, public trust, and cost of living, and warned that the rabbinate will not accept or legitimize this certification now or in the future.