Dozens of rabbis call for ban on long-distance animal shipments

Dozens of rabbis have joined the chief rabbi of Beersheba in calling for an end to the long-distance shipments of sheep and cattle for fattening and slaughter in Israel, in the wake of a documentary that exposed the harsh conditions the animals were kept in.

In the letter released by animal rights activists, Rabbi Yehuda Deri says that anyone buying meat from animals shipped from overseas to Israel for slaughter in cruel conditions is “a partner to and helps those committing an evil crime,” and calls on every rabbi in Israel to protest the practice.

Deri says he will raise the issue at an upcoming meeting of the Chief Rabbinate’s council.

“It is clear.. that whoever buys this meat is a partner to and helps those committing an evil crime, ” he wrote. “Every rabbi in Israel must take part in this protest until the issue is resolved.”

An accompanying petition says that “causing such extreme suffering to animals solely to satisfy our desire for fresh meat is not the way of Torah, and it is not human morality to permit such harsh cruelty to animals.”

Deri’s letter and petition has been endorsed by 60 leading rabbis from across the religious spectrum.

Last week, an investigative report in Australia revealed shocking footage of sheep and cows on transports to the Middle East packed so tightly that many could not reach food and water. The report said thousands die from heatstroke on the journey and are simply tossed overboard.