Meat shortages in Israel: Passover's around the corner, but the meat isn't

Getting ready for Passover in Israel this holiday season might be a little harder this year due to some meat shortages across the country.

With Ramadan around the corner and Passover falling not so far afterward, many people, Jews and Muslims, are stocking up their homes with food and people should expect to see shortages of both chicken and beef as well as higher prices.

"Just before the holiday, food prices are rampant," Chairman of the Israel Beitenu party MK Avigdor Lieberman wrote on his Twitter with a screenshot from Walla! of food prices on chickens. "Finance Minister Smotrich is in Paris, Deri is busy with Deri Law 1 and 2 and Netanyahu is busy with legislation that will allow him to receive gifts. This lawlessness comes at the expense of all the citizens of Israel."

רגע לפני החג, מחירי המזון משתוללים, שר האוצר סמוטריץ׳ בפריז, דרעי עסוק בחוק דרעי 1 ו-2 ונתניהו עסוק בחקיקה שתאפשר לו לקבל מתנות. ההפקרות הזאת באה על חשבון כל אזרחי ישראל. pic.twitter.com/SA17tZdM62

— אביגדור ליברמן (@AvigdorLiberman) March 20, 2023

High prices in Israel, shortages of meat

This isn't the first time Israel saw a shortage of meat.

In November 2022, Walla! reported that Israel would have a shortage of beef, chicken and fish due to strikes by the Health Ministry's food service veterinarians.

The vets were striking in protest of their salaries and were demanding higher pay, better working conditions and more manpower.

The vets wrote a message to the Health Ministry saying, "The strike is planned to continue so long as the heads in the Health Ministry prevent an organized meeting with the heads of the Association of Veterinary Doctors in Israel to discuss the low pay and the conditions of the striking vets as well as manpower which is lessening from week to week."

A shortage of poultry was reported by The Jerusalem Post in January after dozens of vets called in sick to protest their working conditions again.

"As the morbidity continues and increases, the corporation will consider its steps and examine the use of tools at its disposal - all this in order not to harm its vital activity in safeguarding public health," the Veterinary Inspection Corporation said to their employees.

"We call on everyone to come to their sense, to stop the cynical displays of force that cause unnecessary harm in the economy and in public and to return to constructive discourse with summarized signing, as soon as possible, a collective labor agreement."