Jews around the world traditionally eat honey on the eve of the Jewish New Year as a symbol and blessing for a sweet new year. Consequently, honey consumption in Israel skyrockets as the new year approaches. According to figures released by the Israel Honey Council, the holidays during the Hebrew month of Tishrei (September-October) account for some 40% of honey consumption in Israel. About 1,600 tons of honey are consumed during this period alone. Some groups, however, are concerned by these figures. They argue that honeybees pose a threat to the wild bee population.

"Pollen is the source of sustenance for bees," said Sharoni Shafir of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and the Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "Over the past few years, the natural habitat of bees has been shrinking as part of a worldwide phenomenon. Wild bees — meaning bees that tend not to live in colonies — find themselves fighting with honeybees for the same food sources to sustain themselves."

According to Shafir, there are about 25,000 different species of wild bees in the world, with over 1,100 species — a relatively large variety — in Israel alone. "We live in a region very rich in bees, but some of the wild bees here have already gone extinct, due to a loss of food sources," he said.

One group waging war against honeybees and their beekeepers is the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. In June, it published a detailed document that presents the risks that honeybees pose to the wild bee population. The document, titled "The Impact of the Honeybee Habitat on Wild Bees and Nature in Israel," was written by Achik Dorchin of the Hebrew University. Dorchin claimed in the report that honeybees cause severe environmental damage to the wild bee population and to various wild plants. In contrast, pollination of these plants (such as the purple iris) by wild bees is far more effective, he said. The document recommended introducing regulations to remove honeybees from the natural habitats of wild bees, including a buffer zone of at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) between honeybee hives and nature reserves.