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Tzohar asks High Court to reject state's bid to void kashrut license

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Tzohar is asking Israel's High Court to reject the state's attempt to invalidate its kashrut license, arguing the state's claims are factually incorrect and contradict previous rulings.
  • The state contends the license was improperly granted without consulting the Chief Rabbinate Council, a legally required step.
  • Tzohar counters that the council was involved in earlier proceedings and never objected to the license on kashrut grounds, citing a letter from the Chief Rabbinate's director-general.

The organization Tzohar has urged Israel's High Court of Justice to dismiss the state's efforts to revoke its newly issued kashrut-certifying license. Tzohar argues that the state's central claim is contradicted by both the facts of the case and the court's own prior decisions.

The petition cannot become a proceeding about the validity of a license that has already been lawfully granted.

— TzoharThe organization's argument to the High Court regarding the state's attempt to invalidate its kashrut license.

The dispute arose after the state argued that Tzohar's license, granted on July 1, was issued through a flawed process because the Chief Rabbinate Council was not consulted beforehand, as legally required. A hearing is scheduled for November 2.

Tzohar contends that the state is attempting to repurpose an existing petition, which led to the license's issuance, into a new legal challenge against the license's validity. "The petition cannot become a proceeding about the validity of a license that has already been lawfully granted," the organization stated.

Chief Rabbinate Council never got to express its position

— The StateThe state's main argument for invalidating Tzohar's kashrut license.

The state's primary argument is that the Chief Rabbinate Council never had the opportunity to voice its position before the license was granted. Tzohar refutes this as "factually untrue," presenting several points. They cite a July 7 letter from Chief Rabbinate director-general Yehuda Cohen, who signed the license, indicating that all legal submissions were drafted in "close cooperation" with the Chief Rabbinate Council president. Cohen's letter also noted that the council was a respondent in previous petitions concerning Tzohar's license request and never raised objections on kashrut grounds.

factually untrue

— TzoharTzohar's response to the state's claim that the Chief Rabbinate Council was not consulted.

Furthermore, Tzohar argues that a November 2025 High Court ruling explicitly directed the Chief Rabbinate Council to determine if Tzohar met the legal criteria for a license. This, Tzohar claims, makes it impossible for the council to assert ignorance of the matter. The organization also pointed out that its earlier petitions named the council as a respondent and included the license request itself, ensuring the council received the relevant materials.

in close cooperation

— Yehuda CohenChief Rabbinate director-general, in a letter describing the drafting of legal submissions regarding Tzohar's license.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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