Israel Matzav

Prime Minister Netanyahu has a veal chop with Sheldon Adelson

The New York Post reports that after his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu had lunch with Sheldon Adelson (Hat Tip: Kikar Shabbat (link in Hebrew)).

Spies tell us that Bibi arrived at the small lunch hosted by Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson for five people, for which “every single customer at the restaurant had to go through a metal detector,” as the leader was flanked by Israeli and American guards.

“The entire block was closed,” the spy said, adding, “There were even Secret Service men on the roof.”

We hear that Netanyahu opted for a veal chop as he held court.

The restaurant at which they ate was not a pricey midtown Manhattan Kosher restaurant. It's called Fresco by Scotto and it's on East 52nd Street.  Here's a link to the lunch menu. You will note that it includes items like Meat and Cheese Antipasto, Fresco Crab Cake Gnudi and a couple of lobster dishes. The Meat and Cheese Antipasto includes something called capicola. I had to look that one up with Mr. Google, but Capicola, or coppa, is a traditional Neapolitan Italian cold cut (salume) made from pork shoulder or neck and dry-cured whole.

The average non-religious Israeli who might eat dairy products or fish (not those kinds of fish) in non-Kosher restaurants would likely not be caught dead in such a restaurant except with a sealed Kosher airline meal. Was Netanyahu's veal chop provided by El Al?

Non-religious Israelis in general are much less willing to abandon traditional Judaism than are their American counterparts.

I like Adelson's politics. I don't like his choice in restaurants. There are several Kosher restaurants in Manhattan (and in the midtown area) that are at least as upscale as this one. Here's one I've been to several times and here's another I'm still waiting to be treated to.  The second one is four city blocks from where Netanyahu and Adelson ate.

Prime Ministers in Israel have fallen for less. Hmmm.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Kosher certification, Sheldon Adelson, treif

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:03 PM