Israel’s institutional bakeries have stopped producing price-controlled loaves in protest of the government’s refusal to allow them to raise prices.
Yitzhak Berman, owner of one of the country’s largest bakeries charged Eli Yishai, the Trade and Industry Minister, with spending more time worrying about his political career than what is going on in the industry.
He told Ynet News that the minister promised him that they would be allowed to raise bread prices after the high holidays. However, it has not happened. Berman said that wheat prices are rising faster than the price of oil worldwide and the large bakers have cut back on the number of subsidized loaves daily.
The move is seen as a way of putting pressure on the Ministry that regulates bread prices. Minister Yishai hopes the government will agree to provide a one-time subsidy to low income families that will compensate them for the planned increase in the price of standard loaves of bread.
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