Globe Briefs July 14

Mother of slain Israeli girl asks permission to hold memorial on Temple Mount

The mother of Hallel Yaffa Ariel, the 13-year-old Jewish girl killed in her bed by a Palestinian teenage attacker, requested permission to have a memorial ceremony on the Temple Mount.

Rina Ariel in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to bring 250 people to the Temple Mount, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims and the source of much tension over the years. The group that would ascend to the Temple Mount on Tuesday would include the Ariel family and a group of friends and supporters, Ynet reported.

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

“We and Hallel have always felt a deep connection to the Temple Mount. We visited it and will continue to do so, as we believe that it is the house of God, and that it gives strength and life to each and every house in Israel,” Rina Ariel wrote to Netanyahu late last week, Ynet reported. “And as it is only from there that all deficits can be filled, it is only from there that we will receive any sense of solace. For this reason we are asking to perform the mitzvah of visiting the Temple Mount and praying there for the ascent of Hallel’s soul this coming Tuesday, with 250 people who have pledged to join and comfort us. It is very important to me that the event be coordinated with the police and not carried out in any manner of confrontation.”

“Just recently, 200,000 Muslims performed a mass prayer at the site. Would a Jewish group comprised of a tenth of that number not be allowed to convene there for a single hour?”

Jews can only ascend the mount during limited visiting hours and are forbidden from doing anything resembling worship such as kneeling, singing, dancing or rending their clothes.

The Jerusalem District’s police chief, Yoram Halevi, met last week with the family to organize the visit but requested the prime minister’s final approval, according to Ynet.

Hallel was stabbed to death on the morning of June 30 as she slept in her bed in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba by a 17-year-old assailant from a nearby Palestinian village. Civilian guards shot and killed the attacker.

South Korea wants to boost its kosher food market

South Korea has seen the future — and it’s kosher.

Last week, the Korean government announced plans to attract new businesses and boost international sales by educating producers about kosher and halal foods.

Following a meeting with President Park Guen-hye, officials announced plans to provide “administrative and technical support” to help kosher and halal food and cosmetics makers set up shop in Korea and qualify for kosher and halal supervision, the Korea Times reported.

The Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance said that the global halal market, serving observant Muslims, is growing swiftly and is expected to reach $5.2 trillion globally by 2020, and values the global kosher market at around $250 billion.

The first phase in the plan is to educate companies about the requirements of the Jewish and Muslim markets. Only about 25 companies in South Korea have earned kosher certification on items such as kimchi, rice pasta and salt, according to the Korea Times.

The government plans to provide food makers with kosher glossaries and encourage them to attend Kosherfest, the massive kosher products trade show held each year in New York.

Their halal initiatives seem to be a little further along. According to the ministry, nearly 300 Korean companies have earned halal certification, primarily granted by the Korean Muslim Federation.

Kosher food is hard to come by even in Seoul, the capital city, although the Chabad of Korea says it sells “hundreds of items … from all over the world” for residents and visitors.