Israeli Parliament Repeals Knesset Religious Services Minister Kahana's Kashrut Reform

The Israeli Knesset voted overnight on Wednesday to repeal the kashrut reform proposed by former Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana. The bill passed in a second and third reading with 46 votes in favor and 41 against. Kahana's reform aimed to make the Chief Rabbinate a regulatory body that could authorize other entities to issue kosher certification, provided they met the Rabbinate's standards and disclosed their operations.

The reform faced strong opposition from ultra-Orthodox parties and religious Zionist factions, who argued it would undermine the Chief Rabbinate's authority. The Chief Rabbinate itself opposed the reform, emphasizing the need to keep kosher supervision public to ensure transparency, objectivity, and public responsibility, and to avoid conflicts of interest influenced by commercial pressures in the food industry.

Former Religious Services Minister and Shas party member Michael Malchieli praised the repeal, calling it a victory after years of struggle led by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri. Malchieli stated the repeal would restore the Chief Rabbinate's strength, regulate kosher supervisors' employment, and contrary to misinformation, could help reduce the cost of living for all Israelis.