Pamela Pushes Israeli Fur Ban

One of Israel’s most hotly contested pieces of legislation just got a lot hotter: Pamela Anderson, who as a judge and guest dancer on the forthcoming season of the Israeli version of Dancing With The Stars is a prominent figure (indeed!) over there, wrote a personal letter to Minister of Religious Affairs Ya’akov Margi, asking him to support a new bill that would ban the import of fur. (The former Baywatch star and Tommy Lee spouse is a prominent PETA spokesperson.)

It’s a sensitive topic. Margi is a member of the Shas party, whose constituency is mainly Sephardic, but he has spoken out for the right of “our Ashkenazi brothers” to enjoy the fur hats and coats many ultra-Orthodox sects traditionally wear. As a result, Margi is holding up the proposed bill, which otherwise enjoyed wide support in the Knesset.

Margi himself appeared on Israeli radio yesterday and said that he hadn’t yet read Anderson’s letter, but will take it into consideration as he “solidified his understanding of the subject matter” (my translation). If Anderson’s performance in Barb Wire is any indication, Margi should solidify his understanding before Pam gets angry.