Director General of Religious Services Ministry, Yehuda Avidan, demanded that the kashrut authorization granted to Tzohar Kashrut be revoked, stating that the approval had not gone through the proper legal process, Kan News reported on Thursday.
“The approval was granted unlawfully and did not go through the Chief Rabbinate Council as required,” Avidan said.
Director General of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Yehuda Cohen had granted the authorization earlier in the day, according to a statement from the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization.
“The decision was reached following years of efforts by Tzohar to ensure its kashrut supervision should be established as a recognized certifying agency based on the perspectives of justice and impartiality,” the statement read.
Council refuses authorization
However, shortly afterward, the Chief Rabbinate Council said it would not approve the authorization at this stage, echoing Avidan’s claim that it had not gone through the council.
“The director general did not inform us at all of his intention to grant the license,” Kan cited the council as stating.
“In light of this, the Chief Rabbinate Council is not approving the license for the Tzohar organization at this stage,” it added.
Public can eat in Tzohar-certified places with permission of the Chief Rabbinate, Tzohar says
Tzohar issued a statement protesting the council's response, claiming it was aware of Tzohar's request and even responded to the High Court of Justice as a respondent to the petitions.
Tzohar also stated that the Director of the Religious Services Ministry has "no authority over issuing kashrut certificates. The only one who can issue a license for such certificates is the Director General of the Rabbinate, who did issue the license to Tzohar."
"Hundreds of businesses with Tzohar certification, and hundreds of thousands of their customers, can already eat in places that are certified kosher by Tzohar with the authority and permission of the Chief Rabbinate, starting yesterday evening," the statement read.