Israel Becomes First Country in the World to Ban Fur

BREAKING: Israel Becomes First Country Ever to Ban Fur

Published June 9, 2021 by Katherine Sullivan. Last Updated June 10, 2021.

3 min read

More proof that PETA could bring about the end of the fur industry: After years of persistent campaigning by the organization and local activists, Israel has banned the sale of fur, making it the first country in the world to do so.

Israel has made history and put yet another nail in the coffin of the cruel fur industry. Here at PETA, we’re popping the champagne in celebration of this huge step toward the day when no animals are suffocated or skinned alive for collars and cuffs.

The historic ban represents a victory for so many. PETA Senior Vice President of Campaigns Dan Mathews and PETA 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. Israel 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 other vulnerable species who suffer and are killed for human vanity.

Pamela Anderson has been speaking out against the fur industry for years—the PETA honorary director was among the first to bare all for PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign.

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 being 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 dozen countries—Canada, Denmark (where a variant of the disease in minks infected humans), France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the U.S.—resulting in the emergency mass slaughter of tens of millions of animals.

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 Macy’s, 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!

Urge Canada Goose to Take a Page From Israel’s Book