Internal Rabbinate clash erupts as unelected officials bypass authority, risking Israel’s kosher integrity and global credibility.
A heated confrontation broke out Sunday within Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, highlighting a deepening institutional crisis at the heart of the country’s religious governance. The dispute pitted Kalman Ber against Chief Rabbinate Director-General Yehuda Cohen, exposing serious disagreements over authority, oversight, and the future of kosher certification.
According to council sources, Rabbi Ber sharply criticized Cohen for making unilateral decisions without proper subordination to the elected Chief Rabbinate Council. The tension escalated following Cohen’s decision to appoint Rabbi Malul as head of the Overseas Slaughter Department—reportedly without consultation with council members or the chief rabbi himself.
Further inflaming the dispute was the dispatch of inspectors to foreign slaughterhouses absent formal council coordination, a move seen by senior rabbis as an unprecedented administrative overreach. Critics warned that such actions undermine institutional checks, erode halachic accountability, and risk politicizing kosher supervision abroad.
In response, several council members openly called for Yehuda Cohen’s resignation, arguing that Israel’s kashrut system must remain firmly under rabbinic authority rather than bureaucratic discretion. At stake is not only domestic trust, but Israel’s standing as the global benchmark for kosher integrity—especially as external actors and hostile regional influences routinely seek to delegitimize Israeli religious institutions.
The episode underscores a broader national principle: strong Israeli sovereignty depends on transparent governance, clear chains of authority, and unwavering respect for foundational institutions—religious and civil alike.
