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Why Israel's ultra-Orthodox are fighting fur ban

A move to ban the sale of fur in Israel is being blocked by ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are hanging on to the tradition of wearing expensive fur hats on the Sabbath and other holy days.
Moshe Lifschitz of Shtreichman Shtreimelech, holds a shtreimel or traditional fur hat worn by ultra-Orthodox Jews on festive occasions and holy days, at a shop in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood April 28, 2010. Israel may be the first country in the world to pass a bill banning fur trade within its borders, but ultra-Orthodox parliamentarians who fear it will impinge on religious freedom, are attempting to block the bill. Picture taken April 28, 2010. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: RELIGION POL
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Earlier this month, the Ministerial Committee on Legislation was slated to discuss a new law proposed by Knesset member Meirav Michaeli (Zionist Camp) that would have banned the sale of fur in Israel. Ostensibly, the law, which included articles of clothing, should have passed without opposition. Animal furs are hardly a feature of the local fashion industry. The Mediterranean climate affords very few opportunities to really enjoy the advantages of natural fur, and there is no powerful furrier lobby to impede the passing of such legislation.

It turned out, however, that Israel is an important importer of furs for reasons of tradition. The shtreimel, a traditional hat worn by Hasidic Jews in Israel and around the world, is made from the tails of the sable, a small mammal that lives in the far reaches of the northern hemisphere. The tails come from many different subspecies of the animal and vary in quality and cost. The Canadian sable, for example, is the most expensive, followed by the Russian sable, but there are also shtreimels made of cheaper fur. A single tail from a Russian sable sells for about $30, while Canadian tails can go as high as $70 apiece. In the past, a single shtreimel was made of anywhere from 10-20 tails, but today, some are made from as many as 60. Even without any local fur lobby associated with the fashion industry, the ultra-Orthodox attachment to the tradition translates into a significant powerful force. What this means in practice is that the chances of the legislature banning the sale of furs is negligible. Even discussions about the proposed law were postponed for several months due to pressure from the Knesset's ultra-Orthodox parties.

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