History in the Making! Israel the First Country to Ban Fur

Posted on by PETA Australia

The end of the fur industry is near! After years of persistent campaigning by PETA US and local activists, Israel has banned the sale of fur, making it the first country in the world to do so.

A photo of a happy fox.

The historic ban represents a victory for so many. PETA US Senior Vice President of Campaigns Dan Mathews and PETA US Honorary Director Pamela Anderson personally lobbied government officials in Tel Aviv and appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to support a ban on fur. Local activists have campaigned for years to achieve such a ban. Minister of Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel signed the bill into law today after an overwhelming 86% of Israelis showed support for the proposal. Most importantly, this victory belongs to animals – the rabbits, minks, foxes, and others who suffer and are killed for human vanity.

For decades, PETA and our international affiliates have exposed horrific cruelty on fur farms, demonstrating that animals spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers use the cheapest killing methods available, including neck-breaking, suffocation, poisoning, and genital electrocution. Numerous video investigations have revealed minks being gassed en masse, foxes being electrocuted, rabbits screaming in pain as they’re shocked with electrical devices, and numerous animals skinned alive.

There’s another reason every country should follow in Israel’s footsteps: Cramming sick and stressed animals together in unsanitary conditions on fur farms creates the perfect breeding ground for deadly diseases. The novel coronavirus has been found on mink fur farms in a in a dozen countries, prompting Poland, the Netherlands, and France to all ban mink fur farming.

The momentum against fur continues to grow around the world.

Israel is in good company: California banned the sale of new fur statewide in 2019, and numerous top designers and retailers — including Nordstrom, Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, and Giorgio Armani — have banned fur. Humane options—such as faux fur made from hemp, frayed denim, and even recycled plastic bottles—continue to advance and are in higher demand than ever before.

Join PETA in Urging Others to Ban Fur, Too

Israel—an entire country — has banned fur. Meanwhile, Canada Goose is still selling fur from loyal, sensitive coyotes caught in painful steel traps before being shot, bludgeoned, or killed in some other violent way. Click below to urge the retailer to ditch fur now!