Israel has become the first nation in the world to ban the sale of fur to the fashion industry.
The ban – contained in an amendment to an existing law — was issued on Wednesday by Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel.
It goes into effect in six months.
Israel already has stringent laws in place that prohibit cruelty to animals, wild or not.
“The fur industry causes the deaths of hundreds of millions of animals worldwide and inflicts indescribable cruelty and suffering,” Gamliel said in a statement.
“Using the skin and fur of wildlife for the fashion industry is immoral and is certainly unnecessary,” she said.
“Animal fur coats cannot cover the brutal murder industry that makes them. Signing these regulations will make the Israeli fashion market more environmentally friendly and far kinder to animals,” she added.
Thus far there is no prohibition against the sale of leather, which also comes from animals.
It is not yet clear how this new regulation will affect production in the shtreimel industry, those who make and sell the expensive, large round fur hats worn by many eastern European Chassidim.
