IDF fears matzo shortage
Army officials hold their breath ahead of Passover: Is IDF's matzo supply adequate?
During Sunday's session, commander of the food supply center in the IDF, Colonel Yossi Madar, will receive updates from all army bases before making a decision.
"Last year we had plenty of matzos left over from Pesach, and therefore we decided to purchase 10 percent less matzos this year. However, we reserve the option of quickly purchasing more if the need arises. We’ll remain up-to-date on the amount of matzos consumed and decide what to do accordingly," he explained.
Pesach has definitely put the army on high alert. For the Seder, the IDF purchased 110 tons of matzos, 18,000 bottles of wine, 17,000 grapefruit juice bottles, 10 tons of salmon, 5 tons of matzo flour, and most importantly – a substantial amount of kosher chocolate spread, "so that there is something to put on the matzo."
For three weeks now, Madar has been slaving over the Pesach preparations, working along with the Military Rabbinate to have kitchens and storehouses ready for the holiday. "I can safely say that this year, soldiers will enjoy a variety of products, much more than many homes in Israel can offer," he told Ynet.
Tens of thousands of personal Pesach dishes have also been packed at the army's food center in recent days, and will be distributed to soldiers stationed in distant posts and unable to take part in the Seder. "We even prepared kosher battle rations, in case there are units that will be training at the time," Madar said.
On Sunday the operation is set to reach a crucial stage, when food officers are due to report back to the center on whether matzos are at risk of running out. If the supply will appear to fall short of demand, the army will quickly purchase more matzos.
On another front, despite Pesach, the army also purchased a substantial amount of bread ahead of the holiday. According to Colonel Madar, "there are several thousands of Palestinian prisoners who are under the Israel Prison Service jurisdiction, but we are responsible for providing meals for them. We can't give them matzos, so we have prepared bread, potatoes and hummus for them."
