Proposed Law: Chametz in hospitals

Remember the brouhaha over chametz in hospitals on Pesach? The Supreme Court decided hospitals cannot have security guards check people for chametz when entering the hospital. Nitzan Horowitz as Minister of Health sent a letter to hospital administrators letting them know that the Supreme Court decision must be adhered to, and that was the beginning of the end of the previous government, as Idit Silman eventually resigned saying this was the cause, and that led to the eventual fall of the government. 

MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) has now proposed a law that would prohibit anyone from bringing chametz into any hospital on Pesach. Gafni has reportedly asked PM Netanyahu to advance this proposal to become law, though we will see what Netanyahu has to say about it - he does not seem to be happy with all the religious legislation going on, and the chatter about religious policy that makes the secular and traditional in Israel very uncomfortable.

Gafni, in his proposal, stresses the significance of Pesach and the severity of the issue of chametz and says that for tens of years the hospitals did not allow chametz on premesis during Pesach, so as not to cause problems for patients who adhere to the rules of Pesach, until the Supreme Court shot that down when it was appealed, and this will cause a problem for religious patients, many who might refuse necessary health care out of concern of coming across chametz in the hospital. Gafni says the law would exclude hospitals in the non-Jewish sector that normally do not bear a kashrut certification. Patients will not be forced to eat matza, but with the advances in food technology today all foods can be produced kosher lpesach so patients will be able to eat rolls and cakes and cookies and whatnot that are all kosher lpesach.

good? bad? I dont know. In general I am not a fan of religious legislation. I think it does more harm than good for religion.

------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel

------------------------------------------------------