Not only Hinduism, but Islam and Judaism also have strict requirements on diet. The Israeli parliament only allows Kosher. What is this?

The mood in the state has turned heated after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that animal fat was used to make laddus at the Tirupati temple during the previous government. YS Sharmila, chairman of the state Congress committee, demanded a CBI probe into the case, calling it an attack on the religious sentiments of tens of millions of Hindus. In many other countries, there are religious restrictions on food, such as kosher food being recognised in Israel. People of no religion or other religions are also outraged by this.

Controversy breaks out at airport

In 2016, the airport authority made a big decision at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. He began to cook and serve only kosher food in all food stalls and restaurants there. Jews only eat kosher food, which means pure. There are different processes for cutting or cooking animals.

Religious Jews liked it, but liberals were outraged. They started saying that people who were not religious or believed in other religions were being treated unfairly. Foreign tourists also started getting angry. Eventually the airport had to relax a bit. Now both kosher and non-kosher food is served there.

Emphasizing the purity of government offices

In the Knesset and all government buildings, only foods deemed pure by Judaism are served. Many secular lawmakers have also expressed dissatisfaction with this. In response, the Israeli government argues that they can choose vegetarian food if they wish, and that there is no such thing as kosher or non-kosher food, but all government venues, including the Knesset, will only serve kosher food. The Jewish state’s military also continues to accept kosher food.

There was a debate about this, but it was soon settled. The government is very strict about religious fanaticism in diet.

What is Kosher

This is a Hebrew word that means pure or fit for eating. In Jewish tradition, there are separate rules for selecting and slaughtering animals, called “Shechita.” It is very important for the animal to be healthy and conscious when it bites. Killing the animal is done in a religious manner only by trained people. If the animal dies on its own, Jews cannot eat it.

These things are forbidden

In this religion, meat and milk cannot be consumed together. Even the cooking utensils for dairy products and meat are different. Eating many kinds of animals and birds is prohibited. Cows, sheep, and goats are considered kosher, while animals such as pigs and camels are not kosher.

Although bread is part of the daily diet of Israel, it is strictly forbidden during some special festivals. They cannot eat anything with yeast. This is to commemorate the Jews who were driven out of their own areas and did not even have time to take leavened bread with them when they left.

Muslims’ dietary habits are also somewhat similar to those of Jews.

In Islam, the religious killing of animals is known as Jabha. Both religions prohibit the consumption of pork. However, Muslims separate Kosher from Halal. Halal is an Arabic word that means permitted. According to Islam, meat can only be eaten if Jibha is performed according to Islamic law, otherwise it cannot be eaten. This is why Muslim citizens living in Israel generally do not follow a Kosher diet, but only a Halal diet.

Kosher Certificate for Jews

Halal certificates are granted so that followers of Islam can eat religiously pure foods or purchase similar products. It’s everywhere from meat to medicines and cosmetics. Likewise, Jews have kosher certificates. This ensures that the product complies with Jewish religious beliefs. This applies especially to food products. But it’s starting to appear with medicines, too.

Kosher certification agencies ensure this. When it complies with Jewish traditions, the product will bear a stamp called a “hekzer.” Seeing this, the buyer can decide whether or not they want to purchase the product.

Talking about Hindus, they emphasize on religious food but there is no central certification system to decide if something is pure from a religious point of view. This product is a vegetarian product and it has a green dot specifically for it.