Bill to ban the import and sale of foie gras is introduced in the Israeli Knesset

Israeli Knesset Member Rabbi Dov Lipman and 23 Knesset members (a fifth of all 120 members, from most parties) yesterday introduced a bill to ban the import and sale of foie gras. The bill, if passed, will be a complementary step to the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court ten years ago to ban the force-feeding of geese and ducks in Israel. In the 1990s when the Israeli campaign against force-feeding of geese and ducks started, Israel was one of the world’s leading producers of fatty liver. A precedential court decision led to the closing of the industry and still underpins campaigns against other common cruel practices. In drafting and promoting the current bill, “Anonymous for Animal Rights” and “Let the Animals Live” hope to stop the imports of fatty liver to Israel and to set the principle that cruelty is unacceptable – whether carried out locally or abroad, by oneself or by paying someone else. Foie gras, which means “fat liver”, is produced by pumping feed into the stomachs of ducks and geese to make their liver swell to about 500g – 10 times their normal weight. A slit is cut in the bird’s oesophagus, and a pump is inserted. This allows for corn mix to be forced down the throat to fatten the bird. After a set period, the bird is then slaughtered and the diseased liver is removed. Slices of the liver are cooked and eaten hot or cold. While the production of foie gras has been prohibited in a number of other countries in addition to Israel (Argentina, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK), a ban on the actual sale of foie gras is only currently in force in California, USA. Please thank MK Rabbi Dov Lipman on his initiative by emailing dlipman@knesset.gov.il , contacting him through Facebook or writing to MK Dov Lipman, the Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel.