Police in Antwerp early Wednesday morning raided the homes of mohelim in the Chareidi kehilla in the city, seeking their bris knives and lists of children, including the homes of renowned mohelim, HaRav Aharon Eckstein and HaRav Moshe Landau.
The police raid follows an outrageous lawsuit filed over a year ago by a Jew with a history of provoking Jewish kehillos in Europe.
According to testimonies, the officers knocked on doors and said, “Either you open up, or we break in.”
The police confiscated all the knives in their possession despite the fact that there has yet to be a court ruling on the case, and requested the list of all the babies they circumcised in the past year.
The Jewish complainant crossed a red line by not only filing a lawsuit against the mohelim but also against Rabbanim and Rebbes who serve as sandekim at brisos, including the Rebbe of Peshwarsk and even the late Gaavad of the Shomrei HaDas community, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Moshe Lieberman, z’tl.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) issued a statement condemning the police raid. EJA chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin said that “this constitutes yet another red line crossed in the intimidation of Jewish religious figures in Belgium.”
“Following the ban on ritual slaughter, the harassment of Mohels represents a further red line and a clear warning sign to Belgian Jews and the Belgian government. Freedom of religion must be upheld!”
“Any restriction, no matter how small, on circumcision in Belgium would send a clear message to Belgian Jews that they are not welcome in the country”.
“The EJA urges law enforcement authorities, policymakers, the government, and members of parliament must urgently pass legislation that explicitly guarantees circumcision as a protected part of religious freedom under the law.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
self hating Jews are our worst enemy.
They already go across border to Netherlands for interments, since already decades ago.
Are they now going to go across border to Netherlands to perform בריתות?
Needless to say:- This מוסר [so called] jew who reported this, is going to absolute lowest abyss of גיהינום and all police involved in raid, shall also be גיהינום.
Frog bastards. No better than the French.
The gravamen was not the bris. It was Metzitza b’feh.
Does Moshe Aryeh Friedman have a point? 🤔
i.e. That metzitzah b’peh is dangerous and unnecessary. e.g. the Herpes risk and that Mohels who use a pipette to remove excess blood from the wound of the circumcision are preferable. (Note: My future son’s בְּרִית מִילָה will be via the pipette option)
Note: Shmarya Rosenberg has raised the metzitzah b’peh issue many times since 2010. 👍
P.S. Jews who are claiming this morning’s events in Antwerp are the thin edge of the wedge of Brit Milahs being banned in European nations are exaggerating. Belgium, France, The UK etc. will not ban circumcisions now, soon or ever. (Keep a record of this comment for future reference)
Adam Neira…an antisemite galore!
Important note. The main guy behind this and the one who went to the police had once been a major figure in the Neturei Karta. He repeatedly met with Ahmadinejad as the Neturei Karta representative. Yes, I know now they will claim he had nothing to do with them (he no longer does) Back then the Neturei Karta apologists here all claimed he is like l’havdil elef havodolas Rav Yochanan Ben Zakai. The Neturei Karta apologists here all perceived him as being someone who represents (their version of) Torah True Judaism
To judge them Dan lkav Zachus maybe they thought that the knives were used for crime but that is no reason to raid a house
jews in belgium need to leave, before the gas chambers start working.
velamalshinim
adam- metzitzah bpeh has been proven safe in most situations and is much more preferable halachically
bentzion- there is no reason to be be dan goyim lkaf zchus
Belgium Jews might want to consider moving to the United States.