Belgium Indicts Two Mohels for Performing Circumcisions

Israeli and American officials are criticizing the prosecution of two mohels in Belgium for performing circumcisions.The mohels face charges of intentional assault or battery with premeditation against minors and the unlawful practice of medicine, news site HLN reported. Belgian law requires all surgical procedures to be performed by a certified surgeon. The two mohels will appear before the judicial bench on June 18.This is the first time that mohels have been targeted by Belgian authorities for carrying out the Jewish tradition. “With this act Belgium joins a short and shameful list, together with Ireland, of countries that use criminal law to prosecute Jews for practicing Judaism,” the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, stated in an X post.Mr. Sa’ar noted that many countries in Europe and around the world have created legal frameworks to facilitate Jewish religious freedom and in particular, circumcision, which is expressly commanded in the Old Testament and for which mohels are specially trained.“I call upon the Belgium government to act immediately and to find a solution,” Mr. Sa’ar added.The American ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, called the indictments a “shameful stain on Belgium” and said the Trump administration was condemning the action.“We call upon the Belgium Government to work with the Jewish leaders and communities to find a certification solution immediately,” Mr. White wrote in an X post.Mr. White said one of the mohels involved in the case is American. “For the sake of Belgium’s reputation around the world, I hope the Belgian Government will act NOW,” Mr. White added.Belgium’s deputy prime minister, Maxime Prévot, responded to Mr. White’s post urging him to “exercise greater restraint” and not insert himself in Belgium’s affairs.“It is inappropriate to publicly criticize a country and tarnish its image simply because you disagree with judicial proceedings,” Mr. Prévot said. “I have already told you this. Would you consider it acceptable for our Ambassador in Washington to do the same?”Mr. Prévot claimed that Mr. White’s post was defamatory and the religious freedom of Jews was not being undermined. “I recall that the proceedings in question were initiated by representatives of the Jewish community themselves,” Mr. Prévot asserted.Anti-Zionist activist Moshe Aryeh Friedman alerted authorities about the mohels last year. Belgian authorities raided two sites in Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter as part of the investigation. That led to outrage from the Jewish community.Mr. Friedman reacted to the indictments on his Facebook page with the comment “Hallelujah!”Members the 15,000-strong Antwerp Jewish community told the Jerusalem Post that Mr. Friedman is not representative of the community and that they had not called for the investigation.An Antwerp district council representative, David Rosenberg, said the indictment is a form of spiritual genocide on Belgium’s Jewish community, which has dwindled to about 29,000 nationwide from 70,000 prior to German occupation in World War II. “If this policy proceeds, it risks signaling the end of Jewish life in Belgium as we know it,” Mr. Rosenberg stated in an X post.The two indicted mohels will appear at a closed door hearing on 18 June to decide if the case should be referred to criminal court.

Belgium Indicts Two Mohels for Performing Circumcisions

Belgium Indicts Two Mohels for Performing Circumcisions

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