“Israel- ( June, 2021) has just made history and put yet another nail in the cruel fur industry’s coffin,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is popping the cork on the champagne in celebration of this huge step toward a day when no animals are suffocated or skinned alive for collars and cuffs.”
Moira Colley, press outreach manager of PETA, in New York, suggested that the United Kingdom may soon follow Israel’s lead."
'Halevy Moreno said the fact that a whole country has outlawed the sale of fur; sends a strong message worldwide about the cruelty of fur. It sends a message that the 2021 status of fur is a status of ignorance, selfishness, arrogance, heartlessness. If such a bill was not that meaningful the world over, it would not have taken us 12 whole years to finally achieve this victory.”
She also added that she is “proud” and “grateful” that Israel “chose moral justice, ethics and compassion over profits, political interests and greed. We believe that this choice will influence other locations worldwide.
Bills and Balls:
Update: On Sunday 5th February 2017, the Knesset’s Administrative Committee decided to postpone for four months the first vote on the International Anti-Fur Coalition’s (IAFC) bill to ban the sale of fur in Israel. The IAFC has presented this bill to the Knesset (parliament) since 2009. If the bill had been passed at that time, Israel would have been hailed the first to have taken this ethical step, however globally there are already a number of legal Fur Free cities and locations. Hence it's up to Israel to join those who have already taken that evolved step. Although the bill is non-political and vastly supported by the Israeli public, due to the dubious politics on a local and international level to sabotage the bill; It needs yet to pass. Animal rights organizations in Israel will work together during those four months to once and for all make public the facts to counter all the misleading propaganda used to block the bill. The IAFC, the Israeli public and millions of ethical people worldwide are all hoping that in June 2017 the Israeli government shall finally make the right decision by banning the sale of fur.
A great opportunity, once again stands before the Israeli Knesset to prove that they truly represent their public and shall not stand for dirty trickery and misleading lobbying undermining Israeli law making. Once again, we call upon all the Israeli MKs to demonstrate their opposition to corruption by advancing this catalyst bill.
TV: In-Depth Report – Dirty Politics Holding Up a Bill to Ban the Sale of Fur in Israel.
April 29th 2015, Israel: Channel 1 TV’s ‘Mabat Sheni’ (‘Second View’) aired an in-depth report on the introduced bills to ban the sale of Fur in Israel, led by the “International Anti-Fur Coalition” (IAFC). The program exposed the dubious politics on a local and international level to sabotage the bill. Finally the mystery is revealed on how a bill that has vast public support both globally and from the Israeli public, in addition to parliamentary support in the Knesset from across the spectrum and yet for 6 years has been held up via dirty greed founded trickery. Indeed this bill should be the least complicated bill to pass, for it doesn’t involve any of the controversial issues that plague so many other bills. It is 100% founded only on ethics and compassion, so what could go wrong? The truth is that top people from the Fur industry ( the IFTF) in Denmark and Canada managed to influence some Israeli politicians and lobbyists via trickeriy that included abusing diplomatic relations while interfering with a 100% internal Bill.
These shameful acts included the Danish top Fur Company ‘Kopenhagen Fur’ inviting Israeli Members of the Knesset, who were to vote on the bill, to 5 stars hotels, showrooms, a fashion show, and visits to their Fur Farms.
Appallingly, in additional the Danish Embassy received between the years of 2009-2014, $10,000 each time the 70 hour counseling contract was renewed, and paid for, by the furriers, to get the Danish Embassy to take action against Israel’s internal bill.
Just after Canadian P.M. Harper met with P.M. Netanyahu, in Israel, an internal message issued by the foreign office of Minister Avigdor Liberman to the MKs stated that the “High Council of National Security for Israel” mentioned that the bill to ban the sales of fur in Israel, could pose a danger to international diplomatic relations. This in actuality acted like a “Veto”, getting the entire Coalition to suddenly inverse their support and to vote against the bill.
The fact is that the reverse is true. This bill has huge global support from the public, many celebrities, politicians and other world leaders, voicing their support for the ban. In no way, could the bill be a danger to the security of Israel. In fact considering the global support for the ban, it would benefit Israel’s standing to vote in the bill.
The furriers and their lobbyists, also tried to blindside the bill by saying it is anti-Semitic (hence implicating the leaders behind the bill) and that they are concerned about the Danish and Canadian Jews, many whom are involved in the fur industry. They ignored the fact that the (IAFC) was founded by Jane Halevy, a French- Israeli.
“The wealth of a very few people, should not drown out voices of both the Israeli and the world public, calling for an end to the cruel fur industry. Millions of animals are turned into $/products based solely on greed. It should be the duty of any country to do whatever possible to stop this insanity and protect the innocent animals and not those who profit from this barbaric trade. “I call upon all the Israeli MKs to demonstrate their opposition to corruption by signing on the bill that is to be soon re-introduced”: Jane Halevy concluded.
A great opportunity now stands before the new Israeli Knesset to prove that they truly represent their public and shall not stand for dirty trickery and misleading lobbying undermining Israeli law making.
* To watch the full report (in Hebrew)
(By: Mitzi Ocean freelance writer)
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*Special thanks to the TV report director: Tal Michael/ To Tomer Avital: investigative reporter
&To the Danish Animal Right organization: “Anima” – foreningen for alle dyrs rettigheder
For more information, please contact Jane Halevy:
Janeart3@gmail.com