Gefilte fish, Mr. Ambassador?
Too funny:
Diplomats denied treif
(JTA) Israel turned down a request by some of its ambassadors abroad asking to hold official functions in non-kosher restaurants.
Ma’ariv reported Monday that dozens of envoys had complained to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that the kosher eateries available in the countries where they are posted are not of a standard appropriate for official diplomatic business. But their appeal for flexibility in the protocol was quashed by Trade Minister Eli Yishai, a representative of the Orthodox Shas Party in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s coalition government.
“Keeping kosher has preserved the people of Israel,” Yishai told Livni.
Alternate headlines:
- Israeli foreign ministry lifeline for kosher restaurateurs worldwide
- Kosher delis cramping ministry’s style
- Ahmadinejad not swayed by seductive Reuben sandwich
- Israeli palettes imprisoned for preservation of peoplehood
- Shas minister squashes sausage, shrimp, foreign relations
- Coalition-style democracy once again not the best idea
Oops, maybe that last one wasn’t a joke.
(X-posted to The Jew & The Carrot)
I always thought that Shabbat had kept the people of Israel. Now both?
yeah, what arie said.
heh. they’d be meeting in a deli in the mall here. oh, wait, i guess there’s the crappy israeli place in chinatown with the plastic tablecloths and the twenty dollar burger and fries plates.
actually i thought it was keeping jewish names, marrying other jews and not conspiring with foreign governments. But really, didn’t we just read the parsha where the Israelites start complaining about manna? I went to a jewish law school where we had kosher pizza at every school event. Lunches. Receptions. All-night editing sessions. Panel discussions about labor abuses in the kosher pizza industry. Seriously, ALL KOSHER PIZZA, ALL THE TIME. For three years. At the end, I started to sympathize with the Israelites when they said that the manna was nauseating them and they missed egypt. Let’s just admit it’s the kvetching that’s kept this stiff-necked people unified and focused on what really matters, like how much pizza cave sucks.
whether or not keeping kosher has kept the jewish people is not the point. Jews keep kosher (at least we are supposed to). I think this is more about a standard than it is about kashrut per se. A parallel example: A jewish school has a shabbaton where none of the participants are shomer shabbat. nonetheless the school has a standard of observance and all must comply whether or not they would in their personal lives. I have no problem with this. Although I do sympathize trying to get diplomatic work done overt a slice of soggy kosher pizza (for example).
Would it be that hard for Israel to hire a travelling kosher chef or three to cook meals for various embassy events per continent?
why would it be that hard for Israel to finally figure out its not a halakhic state, seeing as it works on shabbos, and kills people and all that?
I find it most amusing that the TRAVEL minister gets a veto in diplomatic affairs. Power-sharing coalitions are such bizarre beasts.
Actually, there’s something satisfying about a bunch of pompous diplomats having to eat at a pizza place instead of the 4 star restaurants they’re use to – and it’s a reminder to everyone that Israel continue to be the Jewish state – good for Israel.
I agree with incorrect. I got a chuckle at the image of the well-heeled diplomats having to nosh like the common man. Good job.
The obvious solution to this is for the Israeli government to provide kosher catering services capable of producing diplomatic-quality meals at all embassies/consulates in locations where such facilities don’t exist locally. These service could also be made available to the general public, and would thus have the added advantage of making kosher food available in places where it currently is not available. This would be a boon to small Jewish communities and observant Jewish travelers.
The expense could be paid for out of the budget currently appropriated to hareidi educational institutions. I’m sure Shas would agree that reducing their funding would be a small price to pay to ensure that Israeli diplomats remain Jewish.
for those who have problems with our system of government, three words: George w. Bush. Now you can ponder and shut up.