‘’Banning circumcision would mean an end to Jewish life in countries with such law, which is contradictory to the European Commission’s aim at fostering Jewish life in the EU.’’

The diplomatic and political row between Belgium and the United States that followed remarks made by U.S. Ambassador in Brussels Bill White who accused this week the Belgian authorities of being ‘’antisemitic’’ in the case of a criminal investigation against three mohels in Antwerp who perform the Brit Milah, the  Jewish male circumcision, has highlighted the need of a regulation at the European level for the circumcision which is more than a key tenet of Judaism.

The ambassador called on the Belgian government to drop the investigation against the three mohels.

“Put an end to this unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community here in Antwerp and in Belgium,” he said.

“Either you change the accreditation procedure, or you label the prosecution of these three wonderful, religiously qualified and formidable men as anti-Semitic,” he added.

His remarks didn’t please the Belgian authorities and Bill White was summoned to the foreign ministry, an unusual move for a U.S. ambassador.

The case go back to May 2025 when police raided the homes of the mohels, Jewish religious people who are specifically trained to perform the rite of male circumcision, confiscated the instruments needed to perform it and, in echoes of one of the darkest chapter of Europe’s history, asked a list of all infants circumcised in the past year.

Brit Milah, which entails the removal of a small part of the foreskin on an 8-day old baby’s penis, represents a core pillar of Jewish faith and a practice carried out over millennia without incidents by highly-trained mohels.

Belgium doesn’t prohibit religious circumcisions but it does require that medical procedures be performed by medical professionals, in hospitals for example.  Belgium has no official procedure for obtaining a mohel certificate, meaning any circumcision performed without a physician could theoretically be considered illegal.

However, circumcisers must be Jewish and doctors are not trained to practice the religious ritual. In Germany, Austria and Sweden for example circumcision can be performed by non-physicians if the persons have been authorised by the authorities at the proposal of the religious community.

Alarmed by last year’s investigation against the three Antwerp mohels, which they fear could lead to a ban of circumcision and an end of Jewish life in the countries with such a law, the European Jewish Association (EJA), an organization representing hundreds of Jewish communities, wrote a letter, co-signed by Jewish leaders from across Europe, to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, with copies to European Commissioner for Health Oliver Varhelyi, Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunnner and EU Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life Katharina von Schnurbein, in which they stressed that ‘’banning circumcision would mean an end to Jewish life in countries with such law, which is contradictory to the European Commission’s aim at fostering Jewish life in the EU.’’

Calling the raids on the mohels a ‘’breach of an EU fundamental right, that of freedom of religion’’, the letter added that ‘’attempts to ban male circumcision in Belgium or criminalize it are associated with some of the darkest chapters of European history.’’

The letter urged President von der Leyen ‘’to register the deep concerns of Jews in Europe on this matter to the government of Belgium.’’

The request was accompanied by an open letter of European medical professionals who wrote that according to documented medical research, ‘’circumcised men have a lower risk of urinary tract infection, a lower risk of penile cancer, a lower risk of penile infections, and a lower risk of some sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.’’

‘’In our shared experience, those performing the circumcisions – known as Mohalim within Jewish communities – have studied extensively, are proficient in anatomy and hold the required medical experience. They are, with their inter-generational experience transmitted for millennia, more than capable of carrying out the procedure,’’ the letter adds.

‘’The consensus among doctors is that parents are the appropriate individuals to make this decision for their children, taking into consideration all the information and personal concerns that are important to them. Likewise, we believe that a Mohel operating under the strictures of comprehensive and detailed guidelines under Jewish law are well equipped to carry out this procedure, without posing any significant risk, as evidenced by the millions of people circumcised yearly.’’

Male circumcision is practiced around the world in diverse cultures. In the United States 75% of males are circumcised. Mainly for hygienic and cultural reasons.

According to Israel Hayom newspaper, Israel’s Chief Rabbi Kalman met recently with EU senior officials, including Commissioner Varhelyi, asking them to find a solution on European level. He reporttedly suggested that the State of Israel issue licenses for mohels, which would then be recognized by the European Union.

When asked about the possibility of such EU framework to regulate religious circumcision, an EU spokesperson told European Jewish Press that ‘’in accordance with the Treaty, member states define their own health policies, including the delivery of health services and medical care.’’

The spokesperson added that ‘’fostering Jewish life is at the heart of the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030.’’

‘’The Commission will continue, together with the Member States, to ensure that Jewish people can go about their lives in line with their religious and cultural traditions.”