QATARI ROYAL FAMILY NOW CATERS KOSHER

FROM KOSHER TODAY (JUNE 3, 2013)

Muslims Seek Kosher Business and Palestinian Coca Cola is Kosher
London…Want to make a fancy Jewish wedding in the UK? How about the iconic Harrods Department Store? Surprisingly the world-renowned department store is now owned by the Qatari royal family – strict Wahhabi Muslims. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the Harrods’s in Knightsbridge has secured kosher certification from the Sephardic Kashrus Authority. A spokesman promises the Jewish Chronicle that “its exceptional quality and creativity will now be applied to kosher weddings.” Couples can expect lavish package offers from its shelves, including dresses, jewellery, honeymoons and even weddings inside Harrods itself. Kosher caterer Philip Small has been advising the company for two years, training staff, including chefs and senior management, on how to handle simchas.

In yet another interesting twist that involves Muslims, the Orthodox Union (OU) agreed with a ruling by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that Coca Cola produced in the village of Betunia in the West Bank was not kosher. The OU says that it only certifies all Coke produced in North America and cannot be sure what ingredients are used in the West Bank plant. This would be the OU’s position for Coke bottled anywhere in the world. Israeli sources also told Kosher Today that they are aware of several plants in the Arab world, namely in Jordan, that have kosher certification. Kosher Today could not independently verify the contention.