Bill White, U.S. ambassador to Belgium, has called Moshe Friedman, a controversial person who presents himself as a ‘’rabbi’’ but who is not recognized as such by rabbinical authorities and Jewish organizations in the country, ‘’ a fraud’’ ’’ and said that the anti-Israel activist’s “lies and Holocaust denial create antisemitism and harms the Jewish people.”
His statement came Tuesday after several Belgian media reported that Friedman is suing the ambassador in court. Last month, White lashed out at Friedman after he filed a complaint against U.S. President Donald Trump for receiving a gift from the Antwerp diamond sector. According to Friedman, that gift was intended to persuade Trump to put pressure on the Belgian investigation into ritual circumcisions. The gift in question, a ring set with 321 diamonds and 75 other gemstones, was presented in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Earlier this year, White sharply criticized Belgium’ds judiciary for prosecuting two Antwerp mohels in a case seen by the Jewish community as ‘’antisemitic.’’
In his statement on Friedman’s complaint, the U.S. ambassador stressed that ‘’while I would absolutely love the opportunity to demonstrate in court that every single word that I have said in our statements about Friedman is true, the State Department will rightfully assert diplomatic status in such a proceeding.’’
‘’We will seek and recover damages for legal fees from this fraudster Friedman who once again is wasting valuable court time just to have another moment in the sun. Time which should be used to hear cases of illegal migration and real crime in Belgium,’’ the ambassador added.
‘’As I have said, Friedman’s ten minutes of fame are over. We will continue to discredit his false claim to be a rabbi as he is not one. Nobody in Belgium should care what he thinks, and I encourage the prosecutor in Antwerp to take the same view. It’s time to drop the case against the beautiful Mohelim rabbis there – including Rabbi Landau who is a very special American patriot. Unlike Friedman, they are real rabbis, and G-d bless them,’’ White said.
He concluded by calling Friedman ‘’a fraud and a phony.’’ ‘’Please don’t be fooled by him,’’ he said.
Earlier this month, four Jewish organizations in Belgium issued a joint statement stressing that Friedman “does not represent any of our organizations,” “does not lead any recognized synagogue or community,” and “does not hold any recognized rabbinical position within Belgium’s official Jewish community.”
‘’He speaks solely on his own behalf. His statements must under no circumstances be presented as reflecting the views of ‘the Jewish community’ or ‘the rabbis of Belgium,’” the statement added.
Friedman, who is an anti-Zionist activist from New York who lives in Antwerp and participated in Tehran in a conference gathering Holocaust deniers, introduced three years ago a complaint against circumcision being performed ‘’without legal approval’’. This led the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office to request that two mohels) be referred to criminal court on charges of “premeditated assault and battery on minors” and “unlawful practice of medicine.”
The Rabbincal Center of Europe (RCE), one of Europe’s leading rabbinical organizations, has referred to an independent Rabbinical Court the question of whether Moshe Aryeh Friedman should continue presenting himself publicly under the title “Rabbi.”
The lawsuit filed by Moshe Friedman against the U.S. ambassador will be heard on October 20 before the 26th Chamber of the Brussels Criminal Court, Belgian news agency Belga reported.