Are most restaurants in Israel kosher?

Answer 1

Outside of your own home, "kosher" is not that "clear-cut". As an issue of deep

conviction to many people, it's a thing that's impossible to determine at a glance,

and those who hold it most deeply are unlikely to eat anything prepared outside

of their own homes.

A restaurant, or someone else's home for that matter, is not kosher because

they say it is. For those who actually care, the determination is always made

by a dis-interested third party, i.e. an authority or agency qualified to inspect

and monitor the restaurant, determine its adherence to standards of kosher

practice, and willing to certify the restaurant and rest his own reputation on it.

So, a kosher restaurant displays a dated document, issued and signed by the

certifying individual or agency, that certifies it as kosher.

Now to the real world . . .

The Jewish people are far from being a monolithic structure. There is no central human

authority and no network of human leadership in Judaism, and the Jewish propensity

for debate, even with gcd, and questioning of each others' opinions and practices,

is a staple of Jewish culture and folklore. Add to this the fact that Jewish philosophy

and culture evolved independently in up to 140 different countries during 2,000 years

of exile, and one might truly wonder how in the world there are any identifiable similarities

at all among Jews by now. (This is one of many facts that renders the conspiracy

theory of any worldwide "Jewish plot" so absurd.)

Jews of various ethnic, national, and cultural origins, as well as Jews with varying

levels of Judaic conviction and adherence, have different standards of kosher

acceptance and practice. They have ALL come together, and are rubbing shoulders,

in Israel. There are many different individuals and agencies monitoring and certifying

the kashruth of public facilities, partly because there is no single one whose

certification is acceptable to all in the marketplace who keep kosher. So a

restaurant that is 'kosher' to one group of Jews is not necessarily kosher to

another group.

That said, it's estimated that some certification from some individual or agency is

displayed by roughly 70% of the restaurants in Israel.

"Why not all of them?" you ask ? After all, Israel is a Jewish nation, Jews are the

majority of its population, and it has just recently passed the mark of being home

to more than 50% of the Jews in the world. So why are not all of its public

restaurants kosher ?

The answer is: Exactly because Israel is not a theocracy. There is no religious test

or requirement for citizenship, land or home or business ownership, school or

university admission, professional practice, elective office, or government service,

and Israel has no official state religion. Of all people, the people of Israel know

what religious discrimination smells like. The country has many laws that guarantee

the freedom to practice one's religion, but none that compel it. Your right to organize

an agency dedicated to the inspection, monitoring and kosher-certification of

restaurants is protected, as is your right to operate a strictly-kosher restaurant

if you can attract enough support from the marketplace to earn your living at it.

But so is your right to operate a restaurant without the business expense of

kosher certification, and serve the part of the resident and tourist marketplace

who just want to grab a quick double-bacon-cheeseburger, wash it down with

a vanilla shake, and go on with a hard day of shopping.

Answer 2

Yes! Even though the majority of the people are Jewish, not all of them follow the kosher dietary laws.