Qatar reportedly backtracks on allowing kosher food and public Jewish prayer

Qatar is breaking its promise to allow public Jewish prayer and Kosher food to be sold at the World Cup, according to a report by Jerusalem Post. 

The report cites sources in Jewish organisations saying that they were were promised to be able to cook kosher food “including kosher meat, but at the moment have only been allowed to sell cold bagel sandwiches.”

Jerusalem Post had previously reported that Qatar would indeed allow Kosher food, with Rabbi Marc Schneier of New York, Rabbi Mendy Chitrik of Istanbul, and his son Rabbi Eliyahu Chitrik supervising the first Kosher kitchen ever in Qatar.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Doha, called the apparent reversal by Qatar “startling”.

“Imposing a ban on religious observances and accommodations almost immediately after having guaranteed these rights to Jewish football fans – fans who were unlikely to have purchased tickets to the World Cup, paid airfare, and booked hotels without such guarantees; demonstrates a remarkable level of intolerance and religious prejudice, to say nothing of outright deceit,” Stirling added.

According to the report by Jerusalem Post Qatar also broke its promise to allow for Jewish prayer services in Doha during the games, saying it couldn’t guarantee security for such an activity.