Hundreds of Monkeys Need The Israeli Prime Minister’s Help

Update: The Minister of Environmental Protection, Zeev Elkin, has decided to request the budgeting of a permanent solution for the 1,250 Mazor farm survivors from the ministry of finance, and within 10 days a plan will be submitted to the court.

Last month, PETA U.S. sent a letter urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Environmental Protection Ze’ev Elkin to take immediate action to help the more than 1,200 surviving monkeys from Mazor Farm, the now-defunct monkey-breeding mill.

Israeli animal protection organizations Behind Closed Doors and Let Animals Live, along with assistance from PETA U.S., worked to stop primates from being shipped from Mazor Farm to laboratories around the world. Mazor Farm kept and bred 15,000 monkeys for use in cruel and painful experiments.

In January 2013, Israel’s Attorney General banned the export of monkeys to laboratories overseas; and with this, the operations of the ethically controversial monkey breeding facility, Mazor Farm, were brought to a halt. Aided by government funds, the Israeli non-profit charity, Monkey Rescue, was established to oversee the logistics of caring for the 1,250 monkeys. To its great credit and in an action reflecting immense integrity, the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, in 2014, pledged to assist Monkey Rescue by building and funding a permanent sanctuary for the surviving monkeys from Mazor Farms. Then-Minister Amir Peretz further pledged to ensure husbandry and care for the well-being of the monkeys for the remainder of their lives.

However, it appears that the government is now refusing to follow through on the principled commitments made by Minister Peretz and his staff. Monkey Rescue has been left without sufficient funds to properly care for the monkeys, who are part of a long legacy of heartless exploitation of our fellow primates undertaken by Mazor Farms. 

Please ask Ze’ev Elkin, the Israeli minister of environmental protection, to take immediate action to fulfill the promises made by Minister Peretz and provide funds for immediate and permanent care of the surviving animals.

You can write to:

• Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. Ze’ev Elkin:
  https://www.facebook.com/Elkin.Zeev
  [email protected]
  5 Kanfei Nesharim Street
  PO Box 34033
  Jerusalem 95464, Israel
  +972-2-6553701/2/3 (tel.)