Israeli MK Rabbi Dov Lipman and Miki Haimovitch push to make Knesset meat free

Earlier this week Dov Lipman and Miki Haimovitch announced their plans to campaign for Meatless Mondays at the Knesset. Originally set up in America, the campaign’s aim is to reduce meat consumption by 15%, benefitting both personal health and the environment. “One day without meat doesn’t sound like a lot, but together we can make a big, significant change,” Lipman said. Lipman and Haimovitch are determined to make a dent in the national consumption of meat, which currently stands at a yearly average of 18 kg per person, putting Israel in 12th place worldwide. They are eager to use the Meatless Monday to raise both awareness and discussions in Israel. They have already received public support from the UN and government agencies in Sweden, the UK, Germany and Australia. The next step in their campaign is to secure support from MKs across the political spectrum. “By going meat-free one day per week in the Knesset cafeteria, Israel’s carbon footprint will be reduced. In addition, “a ‘vegetarian day’ every week is an opportunity to have a more varied diet, eat more fruits, vegetables, beans and grains,” said animal rights group Anonymous for Animal Rights. Miki Haimovitch has been vegetarian for more than 22 years and is now vegan. Check out her My Life as a Vegetarian interview.