Israel will be the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur for the fashion industry

Israel became the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur for the fashion industry, a historic event that came at the end of a long legal process that culminated in the signing of an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Regulations 1976 by the Minister of the Environment, Gila Gamliel.

“The fur industry is killing hundreds of millions of animals around the world and inflicting untold cruelty and suffering,” Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said in a statement after signing the amendment last Wednesday, which will come into effect in six months.

On Twitter, Gamliel also wrote that she was proud that Israel was the first country to ban the sale of fur.

The amendment is formally aimed at prohibiting the licensing of trade in wild animal skins, so that its scope extends even beyond the fashion industry itself.

“Using the skin and fur of wild animals for the fashion industry is immoral and certainly unnecessary. Animal fur coats cannot cover the brutal murder industry that makes them. Signing these regulations will make the Israeli fashion market more environmentally friendly and much more animal-friendly ”, added Minister Gamliel.

Israel’s decision was very well received by national and international organizations fighting for the defense and protection of animals, who hailed it as a “historic blow”, What “It will save countless animals from the hell of the fur industry.”

The NGO Animals Now expressed itself in these terms, adding in a statement: “We have been fighting for years to ban the sale of fur to the fashion industry, and from the start 86% of the Israeli public supported it.”

The NGO highlighted and thanked the work of Minister Gamliel and Tal Gilboa, adviser to the Prime Minister on animal rights, as well as other NGOs, such as Let The Animals Live and the International Anti-Fur Coalition (IAFC) to be allies in this cause.

“The IAFC has been promoting a bill banning the sale of furs in Israel since 2009, and we applaud the Israeli government for finally taking the historic step in creating furs for the history of fashion. IAFC founder Jane Halevy said in a statement.

“All animals are suffering horribly at the hands of this cruel and backward industry,” added Halevy, whose organization has worked to make this happen for over a decade.

“Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come. Killing animals for their fur should be illegal everywhere; it is time for governments around the world to ban the sale of fur ”, concluded.

Animal rights organization PETA also hailed the move as “Historic victory”, and wrote on Twitter that “It will protect countless foxes, mink, rabbits and other animals from being brutally killed for their fur.”

Although Israel was the first state in the world to ban the marketing of fur to the fashion industry, there is the precedent from California in the United States which did the same in 2019.

In October of last year, when Gamliel first announced the plans, it became clear that future permits for the fur trade would still be issued, but only in certain cases. These permits are issued by the Parks and Nature Authority, but these new criteria would limit them to being granted only in the event of “Scientific research, education, instruction, and religious purposes and traditions.”

The latter category has the potential to be particularly controversial due to the role fur plays in the traditions of Haredi Jews, who often wear fur hats called shtreimels, although they may benefit from an exception.

KEEP READING: