A major diplomatic uproar has erupted following police raids in Antwerp, Belgium, during which bris milah instruments were confiscated from mohalim. In response, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Moshe Roth urgently appealed to Belgium’s Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Stephan Thomaes, as well as to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, demanding immediate intervention.
According to sources eports, during this morning’s raids, Belgian authorities not only seized knives and tools used for bris milah, but also demanded detailed information about children who had undergone brisos in the past year.
In a sharply worded letter, Roth condemned the incident as “an unprecedented violation of religious freedom and individual rights.” He stressed the deep offense caused by the Belgian authorities’ actions, writing: “The bris milah ceremony is one of the most fundamental and sacred commandments in Jewish tradition for thousands of years. Any attempt to interfere with it is felt as a direct assault on the very heart of Jewish identity.”
Roth further reminded the Belgian ambassador that just this past weekend, Europe marked Victory Day over Nazi Germany. He pointedly noted: “Incidents like this evoke painful memories of the persecution Jews suffered in Europe just 80 years ago.”
The Deputy Speaker called for an immediate review of the incident, the swift return of the confiscated bris milah instruments to their rightful owners, and a clear assurance that the religious rights of Jews in Belgium will be fully respected going forward.
{Matzav.com}