Jewish group congratulates Tzipi Livni, potentially Israel's first vegetarian Prima Minister

For Immediate Release:
September 19, 2008
Contact: Richard H. Schwartz,
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
President@JewishVeg.com Phone: (718) 761-5876

Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) issued the following statement today:

We congratulate vegetarian and animal-lover Tzipi Livni for winning the Kadima primary, which would make her Israel's first vegetarian prime minister, if she is able to form a government..

We urge Ms. Livni, should she become prime minister, to make it a major priority of her administration to help increase awareness of the many reasons for considering a shift toward vegetarian (and preferably vegan) diets. This would have the following benefits:

It would help reduce the epidemic of diseases afflicting many Israelis, and thus reduce Israel's soaring health costs, freeing money for other societal needs at a time when funds for these needs have been cut;

It would help reduce global warming and other environmental threats to Israel. A 2006 UN report indicated that 'livestock' agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%). A 2007 report from the Israel Union for Environmental Defense projected that, unless major changes soon occur, global warming will cause severe heat waves, reduced rainfall of up to 30%, major storms, and flooding of the coastal plain where moat Israelis live by a rising Mediterranean.

It would result in the more efficient use of resources. While Israel is facing the worst drought in its history, animal-based diets require up to 14 times as much water as vegan diets, and also require far more energy and other resources.

It would be most consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people and seeking and pursuing peace.

JVNA would very much welcome respectful dialogues/debates with on “Should Jews be Vegetarians?” Such discussions would constitute a kiddush Hashem (a sanctification of G-d's Name) because it would show the applicability of eternal Jewish teachings to dietary issues.

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Further information about these issues can be found at the JVNA web site JewishVeg.com. We will provide complimentary copies of its new documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD to rabbis and other Jewish leaders who will contact us (president@JewishVeg.com) and indicate how they will use them to involve their congregations on the issues. The entire movie can be seen and further information about it can be found at ASacredDuty.com.

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
Author of "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Judaism and Global Survival," and "Mathematics and Global Survival," and over 130 articles at www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz
President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV)
Associate Producer of A SACRED DUTY (asacredduty.com)
president@JewishVeg.com

Source: Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Author: JVNA

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