The JTA reports on El Al's continuing kashrut problems and the OU's reaction to them.
In brief, the OU's complaint focuses on two incidents. Both took place when El Al flights were stalled at gates for long periods of time. In each each incident, flight attendents left the plane and purchased non-kosher food and then distributed it to passengers. When asked if the food – pizza in one case, cheese sandwiches in another – was kosher, El Al personnel claimed that it was.
These incidents have caused the OU to remove supervision it never really had on unsealed El Al meals originating from New York.
For years the OU has cetified the caterer of the meals, but has not made clear until now that its supervision ends at the caterer's door, unless the meals are double-sealed and double-wrapped.
What is truly sad about this is that it appears El Al personnel, while trying to help passengers stuck in a very uncomfortable situation, made an honest mistake.
Both food items served appear to have been dairy-based and without any meat ingredients.
Most non-Orthodox Jews are unaware of the intracacies of kosher observance. It is reasonable to assume that the employees truly believed the food to be kosher, and that their mistakes will not be repeated.
Compare that to the current Shechita-gate Scandal. Neither Rubashkin, his attorney Nathan Lewin, or any of the kosher supervising agencies involved (except for part of the OU) has either admitted wrong or pledged to repair the situation.
So, I ask you – what is the greater kashrut problem?
Eating a cheese sandwich when the bread and cheese lack supervision or eating the meat of a steer whose neck was ripped out with a hook 5 seconds after shechita?