Call for urgent solution to alleviate kosher food shortages in Northern Ireland
Belfast Jewish Community warns cupboards are “nearly bare” due to trade restrictions under the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.
The UK Government and EU have been urged to find an “urgent solution” over the shortages of kosher food in Northern Ireland.
A prominent member of the Jewish community in the region has warned that cupboards are “nearly bare” due to trade restrictions under the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Equality Commission and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission have joined the call for the shortages of kosher food to be addressed.
The shortages have been attributed to “practical difficulties of finding suppliers from Great Britain to undertake the complicated process of delivering these supplies to Northern Ireland”.
The protocol has led to additional checks on goods arriving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain in a bid to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.
Michael Black, chair of the Belfast Jewish Community, said they are facing “enormous difficulties in the practice of our faith”.
“Due to the new barriers, our cupboards are nearly bare of kosher foods,” he said. Our local community is facing enormous difficulties in the practice of our faith.
“If these shortages are not addressed soon, we will face real difficulty daily as well as in celebrating major events in our religious calendar such as the Jewish Passover in April. Ultimately these shortages may impact on the viability of our historic community in Belfast.
“We have had many promises, but we need action and would urge all parties to get involved to work constructively and quickly to find a solution.”
In a joint statement Geraldine McGahey, chief commissioner of the Equality Commission, and Alyson Kilpatrick, chief commissioner of NIHRC, said minority faith groups must not be overlooked.
“It is really important that minority groups such as our local Jewish community are protected in post-Brexit Northern Ireland. The commissions have raised this matter with the House of Lords Sub Committee on the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol,” they said.
“Under Article 2 of the Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol, the UK Government has committed to maintaining certain equality and human rights after Brexit.
“Both commissions have been given additional powers and responsibilities to ensure that the UK Government upholds this commitment and also have a role in considering and assessing the impact of Brexit on our faith-based communities.
“We will continue to monitor closely the negotiations in relation to the export of chilled meats from GB to NI and assess the potential impact on religious groups and their ability to access food and ritual products.
“As small communities, minority faith groups must not be overlooked in Northern Ireland. Failure to deal with this issue will have a serious detrimental effect on the Jewish community. It is important that the EU and the UK Government find a solution to this issue as soon as is practicable.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
