Jerusalem – A Cabinet minister has drawn outrage and mockery after suggesting transferring the thousands of stray cats that walk the streets of Israel to another country.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The Yediot daily published what it said was a letter by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel proposing the idea. It said he cited Jewish law against animal cruelty as reason not to neuter cats and a biblical commandment to populate the earth.
Ariel is from the religious Jewish Home party and usually known for fiery rhetoric against Palestinian statehood.
Opposition legislator Tzipi Livni posted a picture on her Facebook page of her playing with a black and white cat. “No way will I get a foreign passport for little one,” she wrote.
Israeli animal rights activists condemned the minister. Thousands of stray cats roam Israel’s streets
it would be evil to hurt such beautiful creatures that keep disease out and companionship close. Where is the humanity of these people, disgusting.
import all stray coyotes from the us, i am sure they will be more then happy to address the stray issue
For a moment one would have thought he’s referring to the Palestinian jihadists who are potential attackers of Israelis and live amongst them in all of Israel as the “stray cats”
At least there isn’t a mouse problem.
I was shocked when I saw many straw cats roaming the streets of Netanya. In the USA, it is prohibited to have stray animals roam streets. If they are caught by the shelter workers, they are promptly removed from the streets. It is not specifically against Halacha to spay and neuter domestic house pets. The same should apply to those wild street cats, which could spread rabies, and other diseases. I can’t understand why that problem has not been addressed until now. In an undeveloped third world country, it is common to see stray cats and dogs roaming the streets. However, a high tech country such as EY, should not have to put up with this problem. Thousands of unemployed Israelis could be hired as dog and cat wardens, to bring stray cats into the pound.
Forget the cats, do it to the murderous savages,