• Home
• Archives
• About
• Links
• Contact

Adi Barkan’s BMI battle

Adi Barkan, a fashion photographer, has been working for years to get the Knesset to outlaw underweight models, following his own exposure to models suffering from anorexia and bulimia.

Back in 2007, after the death of former model Hila Elmalich who was 34 and weighed less than sixty pounds, he told me the following for Women’s Wear Daily:

“The problem is with society, and the low self-esteem of these girls,” says Barkan. “We need to put this out there, to make it a societal norm in Israel and the rest of the world. People need to see these anorexic bodies and move their butts and do something about this.”

Israel21c interviewed Barkan several times about the issue, and posted the following video:

In March, his perseverance paid off, as the Knesset passed what is being called the Photoshop law, for the aspect of the law that regulates the use of Photoshop to make women appear perfect in advertisements. That’s a huge accomplishment. The bulk — no pun intended — of the law focuses on banning underweight models based on their BMI, or Body Mass Index.

The law is making waves in Israel, and around the world. Can Israel set the precedent for changing the way the fashion industry views and uses models’ bodies?

Interestingly enough, it was on Israel’s new fashion channel, Fashion.net., that a panel of fashion professionals, including clothing designer Yosef and a local fashion magazine editor, agreed that despite the new law and its groundbreaking potential, the fashion world will still view impossibly thin model bodies as the ultimate in goal.

“No one wants to see a curvy, zaftig model,” said Naama Chaisin, who is the second generation in the Tovale designer line of clothing. “And I say that as someone who is curvy and has fought to lose weight my whole life.”

Here’s to hoping she’s wrong.

From Boston to Jerusalem with love

If you happen to hear people in the streets of Jerusalem talking about “chowda” or finding a place to “pahk the kah” don’t fret that you’ve entered the twilight zone. It’s just that like a repeat of 1776, we’ve been taken over by Massacussetts.

Over 30 New England business leaders led by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and frequent visitors New England Patriots owner and philanthropist Robert Kraft and his wife Myra are here this week on the governor’s Innovation Economy Mission.

The group has been taking part in industry forums, company visits and meetings with Israeli business leaders and government officials in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

Yesterday, Patrick met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who read a proclamation in the Knesset welcoming Patrick and the delegation to Israel, including “my very good friend, Robert “Bobby” Kraft.’’

“It’s amazing to be acknowledged from the floor of the Knesset,’’ Patrick told The Boston Globe.

It isn’t all business and politics for the delegation however. Today, Kraft and some of the group will be visiting the Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem to watch tackle football games of the Israel Football League.

Established nearly four years ago through the donations of the Kraft Family Foundation, the stadium has become a magnet for American sports in Jerusalem and the Kraft Family Israel Football League has recently expanded its grassroots efforts to offer a high school tackle football league to the Israeli public.

“We have been extremely fortunate to have the support of the Kraft Family as we continue to grow tackle football in Israel and any chance we get to have the Krafts attend a game is really special for us and for our players,” the IFL Commissioner Uriel Sturm told The Jerusalem Post.

In addition to their support of the stadium and tackle football the Krafts have also been highly supportive of the Israel women’s flag football national team, which this year placed fifth in the IFAF Flag World Championships and is currently training for this year’s EFAF European Championships, to be held in September.

“Myra Kraft has been such a tremendous supporter of our quest to make women’s flag football an international contender,” said Shana Sprung quarterback of the women’s national team.

So while the crafts and the rest of the downeast delegation might still be shaking off the loss in the NFL playoffs by their beloved Patriots, they can take solace in seeing this week how football is flourishing in Israel thanks to their help.

Chilean miners to get heroes’ welcome in Israel

Israel will be getting some important visitors this week when 31 of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped for 68 days underground last year are due to arrive for a week-long tour as guests of the Tourism Ministry.

The miners and their families will be given the red carpet treatment, with an emphasis on Christian holy sites and national institutions.
After an official welcome by Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, the entourage will have a packed itinerary, including visits to the Old City where they’ll see a number of churches and the Kotel, and visits to the Knesset and Yad Vashem. On Saturday they plan to tour Bethlehem, and next week head to Masada and the Dead Sea, Nazareth, Megiddo, the Golan Heights, Tiberias, and the Kinneret.

The visit took a while to get on the books because the miners reportedly insisted that their spouses also get their ticket and expenses paid for by their Israeli hosts. And seeing the tourism and PR advantage, the government finally coughed up the budget for the whole group, numbering 68.

Tourism pros in Israel have been targeting South American tourists more aggressively in recent years, even as South American countries line up to recognize a Palestinian state. According to the Forward’s Nathan Burstein, for several years, GoIsrael.com, the country’s official tourism website, has been available in Spanish and Portuguese, and last month the Tourism Ministry announced the creation of a new pilgrimage itinerary catering to Catholic tourists focusing on the life of the Virgin Mary.

Whether the miners’ visit will open up the floodgates of tourists from Chile and neighboring countries or not, their visit will likely be a heartfelt and unforgettable experience for those who suffered such a huge trauma not so long ago. So if you see them on the street, give them a hug.

‘I want my money back’

It may be difficult for readers from Western countries to fathom, but until today, you couldn’t return a purchase you made at a retail store and receive a cash refund. Businesses here have always been infamous for offering either another product in exchange, or a ‘zikui,’ a credit note good for exchange of something of equal value at another time. But nobody’s ever offered cash if you decide you don’t like something.

But finally, six years after the Knesset passed it, a law has gone into effect that enables Israeli consumers to return almost all goods back to a store within a specified time period for a cash refund.

Of course, this being Israel, there are some catches, according to the report on the new law in The Jerusalem Post. The main one is that there’s a five percent cancellation fee, meaning that if you paid NIS 100 for something, you’ll only get NIS 95 back.

In addition, the item must be returned with 14 days of purchase, the item must be valued at over NIS 50, and the return will be granted in the same way the purchase was made (cash, check or credit card).

Other stipulations include more stringent regulations on returning apparel and footwear, allowing money-back returns only within two business days, and only if the items bear the original tags and were not worn.

The return of electronic devices carries a 10% or NIS 100 cancellation fee (whichever is lower) if the packaging was opened.

The law does not apply to underwear or bathing suits, nor food, medicine or foreign-vacation package cancellations. The law will apply to hotel reservations, mobile phone plans and gym memberships, with the retailer required to return the value of the unused portion of the service plan, minus a cancellation fee.

Some businesses here, like FOX and Super-Pharm have already voluntarily been allowing cash refunds on their products, but most stores are undergoing a crash course in learning the new regulations of the law, which Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee chairman Ophir Akunis has called a ‘consumer revolution.’

It sounds great for us disgruntled consumers, but I can just imagine the fights and arguments that are going to take place at some establishments which aren’t so eager to part with their old ways. Plan to leave some extra time on your next shopping excursion.

Wave that flag, wave it wide and high

Ever check to see the fine print on the national flag you have waving from your window or porch?

You just might be surprised where it was made. Some Knesset members were certainly taken aback when they discovered that the production of Israeli flags has gradually shifted over the years to countries like Turkey and China where manufacturing costs are lower.

That’s unpatriotic, the MKs say, as reliance on imports has led to economic difficulties for local textile plants which used to provide the bulk of flags, which are displayed year round, but are especially ubiquitous as Independence Day nears every year.

In addition, evidently there have been instances over the years of errors in the printing process abroad whereby the Israeli flags were not 100% accurate. Not sure if the blue to white ratio was wrong or the Magen David had extra point. But in any event, MKs from across the political spectrum succeeded Wednesday in passing in its preliminary reading a bill that would mandate that all Israeli flags be manufactured in Israel.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill not only restricts production of Israeli flags to Israeli-owned companies or Israeli citizens or permanent residents, but also forbids the sale of foreign-produced flags, including a special clause to prohibit the acquisition of foreign-made Israeli flags or symbols of the State of Israel by any institution that receives over 50% of its funding from the government.

Knesset Economic Affairs Committee Chairman Ofir Akunis (Likud) said that he would push to complete the legislation in advance of Independence Day, which will be celebrated on May 10, 2011. “This is both a national and a social law of the first order,” said Akunis. “We must do everything we can to encourage and develop Israeli industry, especially industries in the periphery, and it is appropriate that we begin by having public institutions purchase Israeli-made goods.”

The question is, does that start a slippery slope where in the future we won’t be able to import other product like humous (actually, who would want to when it’s so good here?) or sneakers? It’s something to think about as we wave our flags next year.

 

• Subscribe

  Subscribe to Israelity via email:

• Social Media

• Categories

  • A New Reality
  • Art
  • Blogging
  • Business
  • coexistence
  • Crime
  • design
  • education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Food
  • Foto Friday
  • General
  • health
  • History and Culture
  • Holidays
  • Immigrant Moments
  • Israeliness
  • Life
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Movies
  • Music
  • News
  • Nostalgia Sunday
  • Picture of the Week
  • Politics
  • Pop Culture
  • Profiles
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Social Justice
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • tv
  • War

• The Face of Israel Today

• 

• About Israelity

  Israel is often seen as a place of conflict and strife. In reality there is much more: there's business and research; art and culture; community and family. At ISRAELITY, Israelis blog their daily thoughts, experiences and insights. It's the real Israel, not the media's Israel. It's people living ordinary lives in an extraordinary place.

• Free newsletter

  Sign up for ISRAEL21c's free weekly newsletter Email:

• Stories from ISRAEL21c.org

  • Can Jerusalem entrepreneurs create the next Facebook?
  • Israeli swimmer strikes gold at European Championship
  • A new heart from old skin
  • Bar Refaeli voted Maxim’s ‘Hottest Woman in the World’

• Popular Posts

  • Foto Friday – Flowers of Jerusalem
  • Anti-Israelity in New York
  • Nostalgia Sunday – ViewMaster Israel
  • Cell phone at the supermarket? You can save big
  • Reconciliation through music challenged

• Recently Written

  • Just one minute
  • Foto Friday – Chaim Meiersdorf’s Israeli Weddings
  • Are you an Adviser or a Chooser?
  • Glorious Israeli spring
  • Ambivalent on Jerusalem Day
  • Nostalgia Sunday – Jerusalem 1967
  • Foto Friday – Flowers of Jerusalem
  • Celebrities r us in Israel
  • International Writer’s Festival a hit in Jerusalem
  • Adi Barkan’s BMI battle
  
  

• OUR COMMUNITY

• Recent Comments

  • Scott Sobel on Ambivalent on Jerusalem Day
  • Desperate on For Mother in Israel, it begins
  • thejerusalemcenter on Nostalgia Sunday – Jerusalem 1967
  • Nostalgia Sunday – Jerusalem 1967 | ISRAELITY on Nostalgia Sunday – 1967
  • Bhalchandra on Foto Friday – Flowers of Jerusalem