Fruit and Veg

One of the things I enjoy most about living in Israel is the fresh fruit and vegetables that we can buy in the shops.

Virtually all this produce which is sold in Israel is home produced, so that the products available are seasonal. We are now enjoying melons, water melons, grapes, peaches and cherries. (However, strawberries only last until May).

I also find that the fruit and vegetables are sold at relatively low prices and so help towards a healthy diet. It also means that when you buy a felafel or shwarma, you can get free unlimited salad. It has even helped me to lost weight since getting here.

The reason I am writing about this now, is because this week Prime Minister Netanyhau decided to drop the Government's proposal to introduce VAT on fruit and vegetables. This had been an unpopular policy with the public, which would have hit many people hard in these difficult economic times. This decision by the Prime Minister, while maybe making him look weak, at least showed that the listens to the public. I think this is therefore a corrageous decision, which leaders in other countries could learn from.

Time to support JFS

As a former pupil of JFS in London, I was shocked to hear this week that the Court of Appeal decided that administration policy of JFS was racist.

JFS only accepts pupils that are deemed to be Jewish by Jewish law, when a child has a Jewish mother or has converted to Judaism under an orthodox Rabbi. This has always been the way that Judasim has recognised Jews. JFS, as a voluntary aided school, are therefore quite right to use this law, as determined by its Governing Body, to accept its pupils.

However, last week the schools admission policy and therefore Jewish law was deemed to be racist by a Court of Appeal Judge. I therefore urge the whole community to get behind JFS, one of the best schools in London, as it fights this decision all the way to the House of Lords.