Cats have the run of Israel

It is estimated that there are nearly 2 million cats on the streets of Israel.

Cats’ prowess, mastery of hunting, and cute little faces have appealed to and mystified humans for thousands of years – just ask the ancient Egyptians, who literally worshipped cats and had a goddess named Bastet who took the form of a cat.

In the past few years, humans have taken to worshipping cats again, albeit in a slightly different way. Through Internet graphics, we humans have again become fascinated by felines, except instead of Bastet we have face-in-bread cat, Grumpy cat, and numerous other images of adorableness. It seems that nobody is immune to the   captivating antics and curiosity that cats embody. 

Nobody, that is, except for Israel’s minister of agriculture, Uri Ariel.

Anyone who has been to Israel, and some who haven’t, know that stray cats are everywhere there: In the streets, in dumpsters, climbing those striking palm trees we in New England all wish adorned our lawns … you look somewhere, and you’ll probably spot a furry tail somewhere in your periphery. As the Washington Post’s William Booth writes, “Muslim, Christian or Jew? The cats don’t care. They’re in every neighborhood.”

How did Ariel propose to fix this pawsitively perpetual problem? Cat-a-pult them out, of course! (Just kidding.) He did, however, propose to deport them to a Third World country that is receptive to receiving a large number of Israel’s street cats. And when news of this proposal broke, the Israeli public had a collective decrying session/laughing fit on Twitter.

But fear not, readers! The proposal was shot down. While other solutions – solutions that will not violate Jewish law and will therefore not involve killing or torture – are being examined, Israel’s kitties get to see another day of dumpster-diving for last night’s gefilte fish.

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelance writer who lives in Wrentham, Massachusetts.