The Public Prosecutor’s office wants the two mohels to appear in court on charges of ‘’intentional assault and battery with malice aforethought against minors and the unlawful practice of medicine.’’

US ambassador Bill White  :  “This is a shameful stain on Belgium”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar: ”I call upon the Belgian government to act immediately and to find a solution.’’

“This prosecution is antisemitic in nature. Not borderline, not ambiguous, but antisemitic…in a manner reminiscent of efforts taken in Europe against Jewish practice prior to the Second World War”, said Wednesday Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association in a reaction to the news that the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office intends to refer two Jewish ritual circumcisers, known as mohels, to the correctional court.

The Public Prosecutor’s office wants the two mohels to appear in court on charges of ‘’intentional assault and battery with malice aforethought against minors and the unlawful practice of medicine.’’

A mohel is a specially trained Jewish circumciser who performs the ‘Brit Milah’, the ritual circumcision within the Jewish faith, on newborn boys on the eighth day after birth.

Judges still have to decide whether the case will actually go to trial. That will take place on 18 June. In the meantime, the parties involved will be given access to the case file, according to Belgian media.

In a statement, Rabbi Margolin spoke of ‘’another ther red line that has been crossed.’’ ‘’ This prosecution is antisemitic in nature. Not borderline, not ambiguous, but antisemitic. It is a clear attempt to misuse irrelevant constitutional provisions in order to effectively ban circumcision, in a manner reminiscent of efforts taken in Europe against Jewish practice prior to the Second World War. Not similar. Not comparable. Identical in its logic of restriction,’’ he added.

‘’The same prosecutor’s office that too often closes cases of antisemitism is now choosing to act against Jewish life itself. This crosses a red line,’’ he stressed.

‘He said that all the “beautiful words” of politicians about the importance of Jewish life in Europe ‘’mean nothing if they do not act immediately to stop this injustice.’’

‘’Freedom of religion is a fundamental right in Belgium, and this decision stands in direct contradiction to it. If this proceeds, it will mark a shameful moment for Belgium,’’ Rabbi Margolin concluded.

US ambassador :  “This is a shameful stain on Belgium”

In a post on X, Ambassador Bill White also reacted to the issue; He wrote that the prosecution of the mohels is “wrong” and “won’t be tolerated”. According to him, one of the suspects is an American citizen.

“Belgium will be thought of now as anti-Semitic by world. Until this is resolved there is no way around it. The Trump administration condemns this judicial action and condemns the political inaction by the Belgian government to find a solution with the wonderful Jewish communities in Belgium.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated on X that ‘’this is a scarlet letter on Belgian society. The Brith Mila (circumcision) is the cornerstone of the Jewish faith. I call upon the Belgian government to act immediately and to find a solution.’’

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot  called on his Israeli counterpart to stop his “caricatures” regarding Belgium.

“In Belgium, the judiciary is independent and makes its decisions—whether one agrees with them or not—free from any political influence,” he said.

“To present this as a country’s desire to undermine the religious freedom of Jews is defamatory. This freedom has never been called into question and never will be in our country. Our Constitution protects it,’’ he added.

The Belgian minister suggested to his counterpart that they discuss this kind of issue during a meeting in Israel “at a time that suits you best, in order to put an end to any misinterpretation.”

In his response on X, Sa’ar said : ‘’I am afraid your comments on the ״judiciary’s independence״ completely miss the point. There should never have been such an investigation, had the issue of Brit Milah been regulated like in other European countries that respect Jewish religious freedom. Especially so in a country with one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe.Had Belgium had a strategic plan to fight antisemitism and foster Jewish life, you might have known this. Alas, it doesn’t.’’