In Israel, disposable plastics trigger culture war, test PM

JERUSALEM -- On Idit Silman’s first day as Israel’s new al protection minister, she handed out soft drinks in disposable plastic cups to hospital patients.The gesture held deep symbolic meaning in Israel, where soft drinks and single-use cups, plates and cutlery have become weapons in a culture war between the country’s secular Jewish majority and the smaller but politically powerful religious minority. For much of the public, a tax... + full article