Fervently Orthodox Campaign Against Shabbat Commercials

Israel’s fervently Orthodox community has launched a campaign against companies that run commercials on television and radio on Shabbat and other holy days.

Several major companies have already announced their full compliance with the restrictions on commercials demanded by the fervently Orthodox community, which constitutes some 20 percent of Israeli society.

The boycott campaign was launched June 2 by the daily newspaper Yated Ne’eman, which the serves the fervently Orthodox community of Bnei Brak.

The paper launched the campaign with the publication of a list of companies, most of them food and clothing manufactures, whose commercials are aired on Saturday and on other Jewish holy days.

Although the information was provided without any threats or recommendation, the newspaper’s readers were expected to understand the implications and act accordingly.

Consumer boycotts by the fervently Orthodox community in the past have proven effective.

One particular campaign against billboards that bore what were considered lascivious advertisements succeeded. Many leading companies changed their advertisements to fit the demands of the fervently Orthodox community.

The director-general of Yated Ne’eman, Ya’akov Lavin, said in an interview that the foal of the latest campaign is to get Israel Television’s Second Channel, as well as regional radio stations that are expected to start full operations in September, to follow Israel Radio’s example and not broadcast any commercials on holy days.

Israel Radio, which operates two commercial stations, does not run commercials on holy days as the result of an agreement reached by the Orthodox political parties and David Ben-Gurion when the State of Israel was established.

According to Lavin, the Fervently Orthodox community, which rarely watches television, only recently become aware of the commercials. When the news of these commercials reached the community, he said, the newspaper launched the campaign.

Among those companies listed in the newspaper were such national food companies as Tnuva, Tivol, Elite and Osem, the soft drink manufacturer Tempo, the baby food maker Materna and the clothier Bagir.

Coca-Cola, Snowcrest and dairy company Strauss have yet to respond to the demands of the fervently Orthodox community. The dairy company Tene-Noga so far stands alone in saying that it will not comply with the community’s demands.

Those companies that do not comply could lose the kashrut certification given them by the Badatz, the fervently Orthodox courts. Without the Badatz approval, no one in this community would purchase the company’s products.

Follow-ups to check for compliance with the community’s demands are performed both by gentiles who are hired to watch for commercials airing on holy days and by companies that set their video recording equipment on timers and then examine the recordings on non-holy days.

Nahman Shai, director-general of the Second Broadcasting Authority, which oversees the Second Channel and the regional commercial radio stations, told Army Radio that the issue should be resolved between the broadcasters and the fervently Orthodox community.

He pointed out that even though billboards are in the public domain and cannot be avoided, no one is forced to turn on their radio or television sets on holy days.

A special Knesset committee that oversees the Second Broadcasting Authority will soon discuss the fervently Orthodox community’s campaign.

Committee Chairman and Knesset member Avraham Poraz of the left-wing Meretz bloc said advertising on Shabbat is a major source of revenue, without which broadcasters may incur great losses.

According to Poraz, Israel’s secular community may act against those companies who comply with the demands of the fervently Orthodox community.