How the Knesset Votes
English

Government bill · 25th Knesset · published as law 19 July 2026

חוק איסור הונאה בכשרות (תיקון מס' 5), התשפ"ו-2026Prohibition of Kashrut Fraud Law (Amendment No. 5), 2026 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Religion and state* · * from the Knesset's official law classification

What the sponsors propose

The proposed amendment seeks to repeal the main changes established in 'Amendment No. 3' to the Law for the Prevention of Fraud in Kashrut of 2021, which privatized the kashrut system and allowed the issuance of kashrut certificates by private kashrut organizations, and to restore the authority to issue kashrut certificates to the state bodies that were authorized to do so prior to the amendment: the Chief Rabbinate Council, local rabbis, and the Chief Military Rabbi. According to the sponsors, the Chief Rabbinate Council and the Chief Rabbis opposed Amendment No. 3 out of concern that the characteristics of the kashrut field, which requires halachic knowledge and public trust, could lead to conflicts of interest and harm to the kashrut-observant consumer if oversight were given to private entities. It is further proposed to preserve and adapt provisions concerning the separation of ties between kashrut supervisors and the supervised businesses, the establishment of uniform kashrut standards by the Chief Rabbinate Council, eligibility conditions for supervisors, and oversight and enforcement powers, while repealing concepts and structures established in Amendment No. 3 that have become obsolete. The amendment also includes transitional provisions for a phased implementation of severing the ties between supervisors and businesses.

automatic translation · suggest a correction

Hebrew original

התיקון המוצע מבקש לבטל את עיקרי השינויים שנקבעו ב"תיקון מס' 3" לחוק איסור הונאה בכשרות משנת 2021, שהפריטו את מערך הכשרות ואפשרו מתן תעודות הכשר על ידי גופי כשרות פרטיים, ולהחזיר את הסמכות למתן תעודות הכשר לגורמים הממלכתיים שהיו מוסמכים לכך קודם לתיקון: מועצת הרבנות הראשית, רבנים מקומיים ורב צבאי ראשי. לדברי המציעים, מועצת הרבנות הראשית והרבנים הראשיים התנגדו לתיקון מס' 3 מתוך חשש שמאפייני תחום הכשרות, המחייב ידע הלכתי ואמון ציבורי, עלולים לגרום לניגוד עניינים ולפגיעה בצרכן שומר כשרות אם הפיקוח יינתן בידי גורמים פרטיים. עוד מוצע לשמר ולהתאים הוראות שעניינן הפרדת הזיקה בין משגיחי כשרות לבתי העסק המושגחים, קביעת תקני כשרות אחידים בידי מועצת הרבנות הראשית, תנאי כשירות למשגיחים, וסמכויות פיקוח ואכיפה, תוך ביטול מושגים ומבנים שנקבעו בתיקון מס' 3 שהתייתרו. התיקון כולל גם הוראות מעבר להיערכות מדורגת ליישום ניתוק הזיקה בין משגיחים לבתי העסק.

An automatic summary of the explanatory notes written by the bill's sponsors. These are their arguments, not an official Knesset summary. · The bill on the Knesset website

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The bill effectively reverses part of the previous reform in the kashrut market and restores exclusive authority to the Chief Rabbinate and local kashrut authorities, while regulating the employment of kashrut supervisors as employees of the authorities rather than employees of the businesses they supervise. The debate focused on whether the move strengthens the credibility of kashrut and its supervisors, or whether it amounts to eliminating competition, creating a monopoly, raising costs, and expanding public kashrut standards for the benefit of politically connected parties.

automatic translation · suggest a correction

Hebrew original

הצעת החוק מבטלת בפועל חלק מהרפורמה הקודמת בשוק הכשרות ומחזירה את הסמכות הבלעדית לרבנות הראשית ולרשויות הכשרות המקומיות, תוך הסדרת העסקתם של משגיחי כשרות כעובדי רשויות ולא כעובדי בתי העסק עליהם הם משגיחים. הדיון התמקד בשאלה האם המהלך מחזק את אמינות הכשרות והמשגיחים או שמדובר בביטול תחרות שמייצר מונופול, מעלה עלויות ומגדיל תקנים ציבוריים לטובת גורמים פוליטיים מקורבים.

Arguments for

  • The law severs the direct financial dependency between the kashrut supervisor and the business owner being supervised, thereby removing a built-in conflict of interest that harmed the credibility of supervision.
    Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism)
  • The previous reform, which allowed any three rabbis to establish an independent kashrut corporation without proper oversight mechanisms, in practice created a proliferation of kashrut standards, confusion, serious harm to the level of kashrut, and even cases of non-kosher meat being sold with a kashrut certificate, and should therefore be replaced.
    Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism)
  • The law sets, for the first time, threshold conditions, professional training and uniform, clear rules for employing kashrut supervisors, and adds transparency mechanisms such as a national registry of kashrut certificates and an appeals committee to resolve disputes without the need to turn to court.
    Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism)
  • The transition to the new model will be carried out within a closed financial system and only after a responsible economic model has been arranged, so that the regulation will not raise the price of food products or increase the cost of living.
    Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism)
  • According to Ministry of Finance examinations, the reform is not expected to cost the state treasury money, and it is intended to do justice to thousands of kashrut supervisors who worked under unregulated conditions and sometimes did not receive their wages or conditions as required by law.
    Michael Malkieli (Shas)

Arguments against

  • This is a law intended to create and secure thousands of jobs for political associates, mainly for the Haredi parties, through control over the religious councils and local rabbinate.
    Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid), Gilad Kariv (Labor), Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White), Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu), Oz Haim (Yesh Atid), Simon Davidson (Yesh Atid), Evgeny Sova (Yisrael Beytenu), Sharon Nir (Yisrael Beytenu)
  • Eliminating competition between the various kashrut bodies (including within the rabbinate itself, such as Tzohar) restores a monopoly to the Chief Rabbinate, which will prevent price reductions and may raise the cost of living and impose additional costs on small business owners and consumers.
    Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid), Gilad Kariv (Labor), Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White), Oz Haim (Yesh Atid), Tatiana Mazarsky (Yesh Atid), Evgeny Sova (Yisrael Beytenu), Sharon Nir (Yisrael Beytenu)
  • The law is being advanced through a flawed and expedited legislative process, including its promotion in an irrelevant committee (the Committee for Public Projects instead of the Economic Affairs Committee) and the involvement of a figure suspected of criminal conduct related to the field covered by the law, raising concerns about an inherent conflict of interest.
    Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid)
  • The Chief Rabbinate itself is perceived in surveys as a corrupt governmental institution lacking public trust, so that expanding its exclusive authority in the field of kashrut will not resolve the crisis of trust but may deepen it.
    Gilad Kariv (Labor), Eitan Ginzburg (Blue and White)
  • The law does not address the central problems in the meat, dairy and import markets related to the cost of living and to concentration in the kashrut industry, and therefore does not solve the real problem but only entrenches existing power and control.
    Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu)
Who spoke (23)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Ohad TalReligious Zionism coalitionThird reading1for
Elazar SternYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Moshe TurpazYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Matti Sarfatti HarcaviYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Gilad KarivLabor oppositionThird reading1against
Eitan GinzburgBlue and White oppositionThird reading1against
Yulia MalinovskyYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Oz HaimYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Simon DavidsonYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Shelly Tal MeronYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Orit Farkash HacohenBlue and White oppositionThird reading1against
Debbie BitonYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Tatiana MazarskyYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Naor ShiriYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Alon SchusterBlue and White oppositionThird reading1against
Mickey LevyYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Vladimir BeliakYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Evgeny SovaYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Sharon NirYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Pnina TamenoBlue and White oppositionThird reading1against
Merav Ben AriYesh Atid oppositionThird reading1against
Avigdor LibermanYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading1against
Michael MalkieliShas coalitionThird reading1for

An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcript of the sitting: 1

Reservations to the second reading

1517 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.

The reservations, submitted overwhelmingly jointly by the Yesh Atid, Blue and White–National Camp, Yisrael Beiteinu and Labor groups, sought to add conditions, restrictions, transparency obligations, and oversight and consultation mechanisms to the law, and to clarify various definitions regarding rabbis, supervisors, kashrut authorities and kashrut certificates; a significant portion of the reservations were worded as a recurring demand for consultation with 'members of the government,' phrased in various satirical descriptions.

automatic translation · suggest a correction

Hebrew original

ההסתייגויות, שהוגשו ברובן המכריע במשותף על ידי קבוצות יש עתיד, כחול לבן – המחנה הממלכתי, ישראל ביתנו והעבודה, ביקשו להוסיף לחוק תנאים, סייגים, חובות שקיפות, מנגנוני פיקוח והתייעצות, ולהבהיר הגדרות שונות בנוגע לרבנים, משגיחים, רשויות כשרות ותעודות הכשר; חלק ניכר מההסתייגויות היה בנוסח חוזר של דרישת התייעצות עם 'חברי ממשלה' בתיאורים סאטיריים שונים.

By faction

  • Yisrael Beytenu opposition · 1517 reservations · 6 members
  • New Hope coalition · 1417 reservations · 1 member
  • Labor opposition · 1417 reservations · 3 members
  • Yesh Atid opposition · 1417 reservations · 24 members
  • Blue and White opposition · 1417 reservations · 8 members

A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it. 5 proposers were not matched to a member: listed under the groups, not counted by faction.

Who proposed what
  • ישראל ביתנו · 1,517
    The Yisrael Beiteinu group mainly proposed adding a requirement to consult with members of various governments (in ironic descriptions) before exercising the minister's powers under Section 17 and Section 4, as well as similar provisions in additional sections.
    Sections: לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3, לסעיף 4, לסעיף 5, לסעיף 6, לסעיף 7, לסעיף 8, לסעיף 9, לסעיף 10, לסעיף 11, לסעיף 12, לסעיף 13, לסעיף 14, לסעיף 15, לסעיף 16, לסעיף 17, לסעיף 18, לסעיף 19, לסעיף 20, לסעיף 21, לסעיף 22, לסעיף 23, לסעיף 24, לסעיף 25, לסעיף 26, לסעיף 27, לסעיף 28, לסעיף 29, לסעיף 30, לסעיף 31, לסעיף 32, לסעיף 33, לסעיף 34, לסעיף 35, לסעיף 36, לסעיף 37, לסעיף 38, לסעיף 39, לסעיף 41, לסעיף 42, לסעיף 43, לסעיף 44, לסעיף 45, לסעיף 46, לסעיף 48
    Avigdor Liberman, Oded Forer, Evgeny Sova, Sharon Nir, Yulia Malinovsky, Hamad Amar
  • העבודה · 1,417
    The Labor group joined as a partner in the joint reservations with Yesh Atid, Blue and White and Yisrael Beiteinu, who sought to add conditions, exceptions, transparency obligations and oversight mechanisms to the provisions of the proposed law.
    Sections: לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3, לסעיף 4, לסעיף 5, לסעיף 6, לסעיף 7, לסעיף 8, לסעיף 9, לסעיף 10, לסעיף 11, לסעיף 12, לסעיף 13, לסעיף 14, לסעיף 15, לסעיף 16, לסעיף 17, לסעיף 18, לסעיף 19, לסעיף 20, לסעיף 21, לסעיף 22, לסעיף 23, לסעיף 24, לסעיף 25, לסעיף 26, לסעיף 27, לסעיף 28, לסעיף 29, לסעיף 30, לסעיף 31, לסעיף 32, לסעיף 33, לסעיף 34, לסעיף 35, לסעיף 36, לסעיף 37, לסעיף 38, לסעיף 39, לסעיף 41, לסעיף 42, לסעיף 43, לסעיף 44, לסעיף 45, לסעיף 46, לסעיף 48
    Merav Michaeli, Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, אפרת רייטן
  • כחול לבן – המחנה הממלכתי · 1,417
    The Blue and White – National Camp group joined as a partner in the joint reservations seeking to add conditions, restrictions, and transparency and oversight obligations to the provisions of the law.
    Sections: לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3, לסעיף 4, לסעיף 5, לסעיף 6, לסעיף 7, לסעיף 8, לסעיף 9, לסעיף 10, לסעיף 11, לסעיף 12, לסעיף 13, לסעיף 14, לסעיף 15, לסעיף 16, לסעיף 17, לסעיף 18, לסעיף 19, לסעיף 20, לסעיף 21, לסעיף 22, לסעיף 23, לסעיף 24, לסעיף 25, לסעיף 26, לסעיף 27, לסעיף 28, לסעיף 29, לסעיף 30, לסעיף 31, לסעיף 32, לסעיף 33, לסעיף 34, לסעיף 35, לסעיף 36, לסעיף 37, לסעיף 38, לסעיף 39, לסעיף 41, לסעיף 42, לסעיף 43, לסעיף 44, לסעיף 45, לסעיף 46, לסעיף 48
    Benjamin Gantz, Gideon Sa'ar, גדי איזנקוט, Pnina Tameno, יפעת שאשא ביטון, Chili Tropper, Zeev Elkin, Michael Mordechai Biton, מתן כהנא, Orit Farkash Hacohen, Alon Schuster, Eitan Ginzburg, Yael Ron Ben-Moshe
  • יש עתיד · 1,417
    The Yesh Atid group submitted, alone and jointly with partners, thousands of reservations to all sections of the law seeking to add exceptions, conditions, transparency obligations, oversight and consultation mechanisms, to clarify definitions and to prevent conflicts of interest in the field of kashrut.
    Sections: לסעיף 1, לאחרי סעיף 1, לסעיף 2, לסעיף 3, לסעיף 4, לסעיף 5, לסעיף 6, לסעיף 7, לסעיף 8, לסעיף 9, לסעיף 10, לסעיף 11, לסעיף 12, לסעיף 13, לסעיף 14, לסעיף 15, לסעיף 16, לסעיף 17, לסעיף 18, לסעיף 19, לסעיף 20, לסעיף 21, לסעיף 22, לסעיף 23, לסעיף 24, לסעיף 25, לסעיף 26, לסעיף 27, לסעיף 28, לסעיף 29, לסעיף 30, לסעיף 31, לסעיף 32, לסעיף 33, לסעיף 34, לסעיף 35, לסעיף 36, לסעיף 37, לסעיף 38, לסעיף 39, לסעיף 41, לסעיף 42, לסעיף 43, לסעיף 44, לסעיף 45, לסעיף 46, לסעיף 48
    Yair Lapid, Meir Cohen, Karine Elharrar, Meirav Cohen, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Merav Ben Ari, Ram Ben Barak, Yoav Segalovitz, Michal Shir Segman, Yorai Lahav Hertzanu, Vladimir Beliak, Ron Katz, Matti Sarfatti Harcavi, Tatiana Mazarsky, Yasmin Fridman, Debbie Biton, Moshe Turpaz, Simon Davidson, Naor Shiri, Shelly Tal Meron, Yaron Levi, Adi Ezuz, Oz Haim

Asked to speak: Aryeh Machluf Deri (Shas), Yakov Margi (Shas), Yoav Ben Tzur (Shas), Michael Malkieli (Shas), Haim Biton (Shas), Yinon Azoulay (Shas), Moshe Abutbul (Shas), Uriel Busso (Shas), Yosef Taieb (Shas), Yonatan Mashriki (Shas), Erez Malul (Shas), Avi Maoz (Noam), יצחק גולדקנופף, Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism), Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism), Yaakov Tesler (United Torah Judaism), Yaakov Asher (United Torah Judaism), Yitzhak Ze'ev Pindrus (United Torah Judaism), Mansour Abbas (Ra'am), Waleed Taha (Ra'am), Waleed Alhwashla (Ra'am), Iman Khatib Yassin (Ra'am), Yasir Hujeirat (Ra'am)

Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF)

Reservations, sections and other votes (47)

In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.

Source: bill page in the Knesset legislation database ↗