Conflict Blotter

Here’s the latest example of the politicization of pork in Israel:

The Netanya City Council approved a bylaw prohibiting the sale of pork in the city on Tuesday. Those opposing the law called it “religious coercion and violation of the dominant status-quo in the city”.

Council Member Adir Benyamini, who also opposed the law, said, “The supporters of the law want to force norms befitting Iran.”

Last month billionaire Russian gunrunner turned Israeli do-gooder Arkadi Gaydamak bought a controlling stake in Israel’s most popular pork retailer the Tiv Tam supermarket chain and promptly vowed to ban the sales of pork products. A few weeks after that publicity stunt he announced the launch of his new political party, Social Justice.

Political squabbles over pork hit on two sensitive nerves in Israel: 1) tensions between the ultra-religious haredim, who last Sunday chained themselves in protest to a pork-selling market in Netanya, and the majority of secular Israelis who have nothing but contempt for their black-hatted countrymen; and 2) tensions with the large Russian immigrant population, whose arrival en-masse in the 1990s fueled the growth of pork-selling Russian groceries.

By attacking pork, Gaydamak not only bolsters his political bona fides among the crucial religious vote, but also distances himself from his Russian immigrant roots (remember Gaydamak speaks broken Hebrew with a heavy Russian accent). He sends the message to voters that he represents all Israelis and will not pander to his Russian base.

UPDATE: In addition to pork, Harry Potter, the latest edition of which is due out this coming Sabbath, is also riling the religious.

The deputy prime minister and minister of industry, trade and employment, Eli Yishai (Shas), opposes the launch of the new book in the “Harry Potter” series on Friday night. Yishai said he intends to issue indictments and impose fines on local distributors of the book who violate the Hours of Work and Rest Law. 

The Steimatzky chain is planning a major launch for the book this Friday night at the Tel Aviv port. At the rival Tsomet Sfarim chain, the book will be launched at a nighttime event at the Ga’ash branch and will go on sale at other branches Saturday morning. 

A statement from Steimatzky said in response: “Under the agreement with the publisher abroad, the chain is obligated to launch the book in Israel simultaneous to its launch throughout the world.”