Just last week Forer proposed a method to increase competition in the pork industry in Israel in order to bring about the lowering of prices. 20 years ago regulations were put into place restricting the slaughter of pigs and is currently limited to 3 slaughterhouses and processing plants, one in the north, one in the south and one in the Galilee. Forer is working on removing those restrictions and allowing the establishment of slaughterhouses for pork wherever one might want to open them, limited only by the veterinary services.

It should be noted that this move to remove the restrictions is part of a broader reform removing restrictiosn on the establishment of all slaughterhouses. This greater reform would make it easier to open slaughterhouses for beef and lamb pretty much anywhere around Israel. As part of that, the restrictions on pork slaughterhouses would also be eased.

Unless really it is the other way around. Maybe Forer is easing the restrictions on cattle slaughterhouses just to be able to remove them for pork... hmmm

Obviously Forer's submission of a draft on this matter raised quite a ruckus. Pork is not just "treif" but is probably the greatest symbol of treif and something that Jews repelled and rejected even more than other treif foods throughout the generations (possibly until and not including today's younger generation).

That was last week.

This week Minister Forer has another proposal that will upset many among the religious and Haredi sectors.

Forer has requested that the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbis Yitzchak Yosef and Dovid Lau, investigate and research the possibility of allowing non-Jewish workers work in the dairy farms on Shabbos and holidays. These workers would perform activities such as cleaning and maintenance of the production lines. Because of the upcoming holidays and how they land on the calendar with Shabbos and holidays interspersed, a shortage of milk is expected as the number of work days available will be significantly lower than normal.

For the first regulations he didnt need the Chief Rabbis because it is the non-kosher market and they are not connected to that. For the milk, it all has to be kosher, so he would need their approval. 

I wonder what he'll go for next.