Samaria Chief Rabbi Strongly Opposes Certification of Tzohar Kashrut by Chief Rabbinate CEO

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the Chief Rabbi of Samaria and head of the Alon Moreh Yeshiva, sharply criticized the decision by Yehuda Cohen, CEO of the Chief Rabbinate, to authorize Tzohar as a kosher certification body in Israel. Rabbi Levanon described the move as a "farewell gift" from Cohen, whom he accused of causing long-term damage to the kosher certification system. He labeled Tzohar's kashrut as "CEO kashrut" and urged the public not to trust its certification.

Rabbi Levanon cited a verse from the Book of Samuel to illustrate his point, suggesting Cohen was acting against the Chief Rabbinate Council's authority at the end of his tenure, which he claimed should have ended earlier. He expressed strong support for the Chief Rabbinate Council and the Chief Rabbis, Kalman Bar and David Yosef, encouraging them to resist what he called "intruders" seeking to undermine the official kosher system.

He emphasized that kosher certification in Israel should remain under the Chief Rabbinate's authority and distinguished between "Chief Rabbinate kashrut" and "CEO kashrut," warning the public to choose accordingly. Rabbi Levanon concluded by reinforcing his backing of the Chief Rabbinate and its council, urging the public to be cautious about certifications granted under the CEO's unilateral decisions.