After the storm of protest aroused by the exposure by "Globes" of the attempt by the Ministry of National Infrastructures to promote an amendment to the Electricity Law whereby power production in Israel would be subject to supervision by the Chief Rabbinate, Minister of National Infrastructures Uzi Landau today instructed the director-general of his ministry withdraw the so-called "kosher electricity" bill.
According to the ministry's statement, Landau decided to withdraw the amendment because of the fear that it would represent a change in the status quo on relations between religion and the state.
Landau made clear that he would continue to seek a solution to a situation in which there was a risk to life, since, in order to avoid breach of the Sabbath, thousands of families in Israel obtain power supplies from generators and pirate power connections, but that he would do so while taking care not to upset the status quo.
"Above all, the aim of the bill is to avoid the danger to human life that arises from the use of pirate electricity," Landau declared. "I do not rule out the possibility that it may be that the way that the bill was drafted lent it to too far-reaching an interpretation, which would have upset the status quo, and we intend to examine this and to amend it," Landau's statement said.
The Ministry of National Infrastructures attempted to promote a bill that would oblige the Israel Electric Corporation and private power producers to operate according to the requirement of Jewish law on Saturdays and holidays. The initiative, which was expected to cost tens of millions of shekels to implement, grew out of a desire to accede to the demands of extreme haredi (ultra-orthodox) elements. The intention was to appoint inspectors on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate who would ensure that the workers at power plants and other IEC installations on Saturdays and holidays were not Jewish according to the criteria of Jewish law.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 18, 2011
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