Israel will kick out every Asian restaurant worker by the end of the year. "We feel an Israeli can hold a wok as well as a Thai or a Chinese person," says a Trade Ministry official in charge of work permits.
According to an Associated Press story from Jerusalem, the Israeli government will send foreign restaurant workers packing by next January. Industry leaders warn they won't be able to provide the food Israelis want and their business will be hurt.
Or, as the AP dispatch puts it: "Israel's sushi craze could be in for trouble."
Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Indian restaurants have grown into a $280 million-a-year business, accounting for 10 percent of the local dining landscape, according to the Israeli Ethnic Restaurant Association.
Asian restaurants employ 900 foreign-born chefs and kitchen workers. But now, that Trade Ministry says Israelis should do those jobs.
The statement by Shoshana Strauss, a lawyer at the Trade Ministry, which regulates work permits for foreign workers, is worth repeating:
"We feel an Israeli can hold a wok as well as a Thai or a Chinese person."
In the minds of Thai chefs, at least, "hold" might be the operative word.
"If we don't have cooks, we don't have food. If we don't have food, we don't have customers," said Steven Lobel, who owns two Asian restaurants employing 14 Asian kitchen workers in the Tel Aviv area.
No kidding. But beginning next year, there will be no work visas for foreigners in the business, only tourist visas permitting brief consulting opportunities for experts in Asian cuisine, the Trade Ministry says.
The ministry has begun offering Asian cooking classes to Israelis, but few have shown interest, generating skepticism enough Israelis will step forward to fill the void.
"I doubt this will succeed," said Arnon Volosky, chief executive of the Ethnic Restaurant Association.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.html?id=125911
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.html?story=20080214064913367
Yes. That is a pack of Marlboros in among the toys
"Thanks for the pic, dude. I'll post it in any "fun pictures" gallery :))))"
I took this in Jaffe- right near the clock tower. Its one of those claw machines- you put in a sheckel, you get a chance for a prize. Kids love 'em. Just check out the prizes carefully.
Yes, that is a pack of cigarettes in among the toys.
Come to think of it. This isn't funny. This is deeply disturbing
Its not about Kashrut- there are many restaurants that aren't kosher- its about foreign workers taking away jobs that could be held locally.
Personally, i don't know many Israelis who can make sushi
"Israel's Asian restaurants went on a one-day spring-roll strike yesterday in protest over government plans to rid kitchens of foreign chefs, and said sushi and noodles would be the next items off the menu.
Proprietors are angry at government plans to purge Japanese, Chinese and Thai eateries of Asian cooks and replace them with Israelis as part of a broader programme to cut the number of foreigners working in the Jewish state.
The Israeli Ethnic Res-taurant Organisation said the country's 300 Asian restaurants refused to serve spring- or egg- rolls – among their most popular dishes – and planned a follow-up strike in two weeks for sushi and noodles."
Frankly, if its a choice of 900 more jobs, or sushi, I'd pick sushi.
Cut the Taliban crap though- we aren't destroying ancient artifacts and shooting people that can't grow beards or who show their ankles.
"CHAINESS KOSHER"
Buahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Thanks for the pic, dude. I'll post it in any "fun pictures" gallery :))))
Oh, are they kosher? So why than the government wants to kick those asians out? If they were not kosher - it's ok. But they are!
The kashruth is more importiant than the people, because it comes from the Torah (Holy Law). And the Torah is more importiant than every single person on Earth. Especialy when he is not Jewish.
Welcome tho the Taliban state of Israel :)))
The sushi is japanese as long as I know
Wed, 02/20/2008 - 03:39 — AnonymousIt's funny. I eat sushi in Japanese restaurants, not in "Chainess" ones.