Bill solidifying Chief Rabbinate’s kashrut monopoly passes initial Knesset vote

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A bill to prohibit an alternative kosher certification agency from operating passed an initial vote in Israel’s Knesset.

The bill, introduced by lawmakers from the haredi Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, would prohibit the alternative organization, called Private Certification, from granting kosher certificates to restaurants, according to Haaretz. The bill passed Wednesday by a vote of 49 to 34.

While current law gives Israel’s Chief Rabbinate exclusive authority to certify restaurants kosher, Private Certification took advantage of a loophole by granting certificates to restaurants without placing the word “kosher” on them. This bill would close that loophole.

The measure now goes back to committee before being presented for a final vote. It is expected to be amended to allow restaurants to declare that they are kosher under “self-supervision,” without rabbinic authority. The bill will likely also exclude imported goods with kosher certification from a foreign agency.