Meatless Monday Thrives in Israel

The Meatless Monday campaign led in Israel by former news anchor Miki Haimovich has proven to be quite successful. Recently published figures show that 20.8% of Israelis have adopted the initiative since it was launched one year ago. This reduced consumption of meat in Israel contributes to the quality of the environment and is the equivalent of taking 20,000 vehicles off Israel's roads.

Many workplaces have joined the Meatless Monday initiative in the past year. Intel, HP, Motorola, the Electric Corp in Haifa, some of Teva's offices and a variety of kibbutzim are among them.

The Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv has joined the Meatless Monday initiative presenting vegetarian dishes aimed at making the hospital's patients and staff forget about meat products. The Sourasky Medical Center is not the first hospital to adopt the campaign. It was preceded by Assuta and Bnai Zion, but it is definitely the biggest hospital to join, and the first to implement it in patients' menus as well.

Three municipalities have adopted a city council resolution to promote the campaign: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, and Modiin.

Health Minister Yael German has announced that in light of the initiative's success, she is considering incorporating the idea into the entire health system.

Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz has declared Meatless Monday a state flagship project which will help advance environmental protection. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara have adopted the Meatless Monday initiative at the prime minister's official residence.

As part of its support, the Environmental Protection Ministry has launched a new radio campaign explaining why it is important to reduce meat consumption.

Source: Ynetnews