Israeli Rabbi Seeks Imam's Help In Preventing Sale Of Leavened Products During Passover

With the Jewish holiday of Passover approaching-- it begins Monday night-- Israeli authorities are again faced with issues of enforcing the country's law against businesses publicly displaying leavened products (hametz) for sale or consumption. (See prior related posting.) Apparently in recent years, the northern Israeli city of Akko has become a center for non-religious Jews seeking to buy hametz.  The ban on selling hametz does not apply to Akko's mostly-Arab Old City.  YNet News today reports that Akko's chief rabbi, Yosef Yashar, has approached the influential imam of the city's al-Jazar Mosque, Sheikh Samir Asi, and asked him to attempt to to get Arab business owners to voluntarily refuse to sell hametz to Jews during Passover. The sheikh says he will ask business owners to honor the rabbi's request, but he is not certain how many will comply.