Swine Flu Is So Totally Not Kosher

We are aware that swine flu is serious. We are also aware that though this news item is not a joke, it is hilarious.

JERUSALEM - Swine flu? Not in the Jewish state.

"We will call it Mexico flu. We won't call it swine flu," Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman, a black-garbed Orthodox Jew, told a news conference Monday, assuring the Israeli public that authorities were prepared to handle any cases.

Under Jewish dietary laws, pigs are considered unclean and pork is forbidden food -- although the non-kosher meat is available in some stores in Israel.

(Reuters)

Wait- we're confused. Doesn't "Mexiacan Flu" sound far away and less of an immediate threat? Wouldn't leaving "swine" in the title keep it scary? Wouldn't "swine flu" help keep Israelis away from both pigs and germs? It isn't like they named the disease "delicious bacon flu".

mmmm... bacon flu...