Israel’s ultra-Orthodox seek to prohibit Passover non-Kosher food in hospitals

JERUSALEM — Israel’s parliament approved on Wednesday at a preliminary reading the so-called “leavened bread” law, banning bread and related non-Kosher products in hospitals over the Jewish holy day of Passover. The bill proposed by ultra-Orthodox Knesset member Moshe Gafni must still go through three plenary votes before becoming law but is expected to go into force by Passover, which falls on April 9 this year.

According to the Jewish tradition, all foods with leavening agents, such as breads and cakes, are forbidden from being eaten and even from being kept at home during Passover week. Instead of bread, traditional Jews eat matzah (unleavened) bread. Still, legislation in Israel does not prevent people from eating or selling leavened foods. Like the Israel Defense Forces and other public institutions, public hospitals always purge bread and related leavened products from their kitchens over Passover, but private hospitals do not. Also, public hospital staff generally does not search visitors and patients to enforce a bread ban.

Ultra-Orthodox politicians have been laboring for years to prohibit these foods from public spaces during the holy day. Thus, the approved preliminary vote on Wednesday represents a big achievement for them.

In April 2020, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled against the government policy banning bread in hospitals during Passover in keeping with the Jewish religious edict. Gafni, one of Israel’s most powerful ultra-Orthodox politicians, responded at the time to that ruling with harsh words, pledging legislation to overturn it. He even accused the justices of arrogant interference in the Knesset’s work. The clash occurred during the transition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after which he and his ultra-Orthodox allies were voted out of power. With their return to government almost two months ago, Gafni can now make good on his 2020 pledge.