Dozens of zionist rabbis - yeshiva leaders and community rabbis - are calling for a boycott of the 'Strauss' company following the company's decision to freeze its advertisements on Channel 14.
"We, the heads of yeshivas and institutions in religious Zionism, are appalled by Strauss Food's decision to use their economic power to control the political agenda and manipulate public opinion in Israel," wrote the rabbis in the opening of their letter.
The rabbis continue to write that Channel 14 is the only television channel among the broadcasters that presents a different and balanced voice. They point out that Strauss's decision resembles "Communist Russia, where only the accepted opinion of the atheistic communist left was allowed to be heard. We cannot, in any way, remain silent about this."
The rabbis emphasize that "the decision to boycott media outlets expressing a clear and loyal voice to the tradition of Israel and national and Zionist values is not just a specific ban on a communication channel, but a boycott and harm to a large public in Israel."
In their letter's conclusion, the rabbis call for a boycott of 'Strauss' products, stating: "We cannot remain silent, and hereby announce that from today, our yeshivas and educational institutions will not purchase products from companies that boycott public voices in Israel, thereby harming freedom of expression and the unity of the nation."
"We call upon our students and their families to follow our path and not to purchase products from commercial companies that attempt to silence and stifle voices," the letter states.
The letter is signed by: Rabbi Eli Sadan, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi Zvi Kustiner, Rabbi David Fendel, Rabbi Shlomo Benyamin, Rabbi Shabtai Sabato, Rabbi Eran Tamir.
The letter includes the signatures of dozens of additional rabbis.