Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Condemns Chief Rabbinate's Unauthorized Kashrut Approval for Tzohar

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu sharply criticized the Chief Rabbinate's recent decision to grant kashrut certification authority to the organization Tzohar, calling it an unauthorized "coup" carried out without proper professional review. He stated that no expert evaluation was conducted on Tzohar's kashrut procedures, their compatibility with Chief Rabbinate standards, or their technical capabilities. Eliyahu accused the outgoing Chief Rabbinate Director General, Yehuda Cohen, of acting scandalously by issuing the approval in his final days without the consent of the Chief Rabbis or the Rabbinical Council. He declared the certification invalid and said it should not stand.

The approval followed a petition to the Supreme Court demanding that Tzohar's request for kashrut certification be examined according to legal criteria. However, both Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, and the Rabbinical Council have stated the approval lacks validity. The Rabbinical Council emphasized it has not received the necessary documentation or a reasoned decision from the supervisor and has 30 days to review the license application before forming a halachic position. Until then, the council does not endorse granting Tzohar the certification license.

This controversy highlights internal disputes within the Chief Rabbinate over kashrut authority and the legitimacy of Tzohar's certification status, with Rabbi Eliyahu leading opposition against the move.