Concern in Belgium: top minister calls to ban Jewish slaughter

Concern in Belgium: Minister for Animal Welfare in Belgium, calls to outlaw the Jewish slaughter without shock. Minister Ben Waits said that the issue is the agenda of the government and if approved will go into effect as early as next year.

Conference of European Rabbis responded ruefully: "This is a war on freedom of religion in Europe, traveling from country to country, and we have no intention to surrender - wonder is how a minister in Belgium in which took place only a few months ago the shocking murder of Jews, is trying to rein Jewish community. Is this answer to the anti-Semitic acts in his country?.

"On the one hand the Government of Lithuania approved a few days ago, the kosher slaughter on the other again, we are witnessing an initiative to ban the slaughter actually in Belgium. We are working with the Minister Wait and the Government of Belgium and the EU institutions to cancel the initiative which is contrary to EU Constitution which requires each member of the country of the Union institutions to grant religious freedom to its citizens" .

In recent years, Jewish communities battled the growing legislative initiatives against kosher slaughter in the EU.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, CEO, RCE, said in response that it is a serious threat to freedom of religion in Belgium which gives a boost to anti-Semitism. According to Rabbi Margolin: "In recent years we have successfully faced similar attempts to harm the ability of communities to live Jewishly. Ban on ritual slaughter violates European law which guarantees the right of religious organizations to perform ritual slaughter in accordance with their religious beliefs, and I intend to demand that the government of Belgium to provide clarification. "

Deputy Director, Center of European Rabbis, Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, said in response: "Actually, we expect the government of Belgium to repel any attempt to harm the values of religion and tradition for generations of Jews. Just a few months ago Jews were murdered because they were Jewish, anti-Semitic attack at the Jewish Museum. On behalf of European Rabbis, we urge the government to stop immediately Belgium attempts to enact such a law.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!