In an effort to combat cruelty to animals, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has ordered that every one of the country’s slaughterhouses must now be equipped with video cameras, which will send a live feed directly to a central ministry control room. The cameras will film 24/7, and members of the ministry’s veterinary services team will monitor the footage.
“Our inspection of slaughterhouses is rising to the next level,” said Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel. “We were witnesses to various severe cases at slaughterhouses around Israel. On the one hand, we cannot generalize, but on the other hand we must increase monitoring and enforcement or else these cases will not change.”
Animal organizations are pushing for access to the footage to ensure that the animals are afforded at least the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Law. And when people see for themselves the cruelty inherent in killing animals who fight for their lives and don’t want to die, many will make the compassionate choice to stop supporting it.
As Paul McCartney said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.”
What You Can Do
Here in the States, the animal-agriculture lobby is trying to accomplish the exact opposite: making it a crime to film or photograph cruelty to farmed animals. See the latest news on “ag-gag” bills and what you can do to stop them.
