‘Shmita in danger’ due to lack of state budget says agriculture minister
The Shmita or sabbatical year is a religious commandment mandated by the Torah which requires arable land in the Land of Israel to be left fallow every seventh year.
By JEREMY SHARONAgriculture Ministry spraying locusts 370(photo credit: Agriculture Ministry/Moshe Weiss)
Minister of Agriculture Alon Schuster of Blue and White has expressed concern that his ministry will be unable to properly prepare for the upcoming shmita (sabbatical) year since it lacks the funds to make the necessary arrangements because a state budget has yet to be passed.“Some three million people who observe the laws of shmita in Israel are wondering where they will get fresh produce next year, and the failure to pass a budget means we cannot give them a clear answer,” Schuster said on Wednesday.“We’re doing everything we can in the ministry to prepare for the shmita, but I am warning that without a 2021 budget the shmita year is in danger.”The minister continued with those preparations on Thursday in meetings with ultra-Orthodox rabbis on the issue.The shmita year is a religious commandment mandated by the Torah which requires arable land in the Land of Israel be left fallow every seventh year. The next shmita year begins in September 2021.Although most farmers use a leniency in Jewish law to continue to work the land, there are nevertheless considerable costs in arranging for the logistics of the shmita year and making provisions for produce from alternative sources, including foreign imports.In total, the Agriculture Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry has requested some NIS 150 million to prepare for the shmita year; these preparations typically begin 12 months ahead of the sabbatical year.Since the state budget for 2021 has yet to be passed due to political disagreements between the Likud and Blue and White, such funds cannot be released.Officials in both ministries have said that without the shmita funds, the joint task force which will be set up to make the necessary preparations cannot get underway. This inability has come to the attention of the ultra-Orthodox parties who are increasingly concerned about the situation.Last week, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee Moshe Gafni (MK United Torah Judaism) demanded a detailed government plan within seven days showing how it will manage the shmita year without a state budget.“It is very important that this is done quickly in order to prepare properly for the upcoming shmita year,” said Gafni.
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