By: Aryeh Savir
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded critically to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union that upheld de facto the ban on kosher slaughter in Belgium, “sending a harsh message to all European Jewry.”
Responding to an appeal by the Belgian Jewish community against the country, the CJEU ruled Thursday that European countries can legally ban ritual slaughtering on the basis of a claim that it is an infringement of the animals’ rights.
Belgium banned Jewish and Muslim slaughter methods in January 2019.
Kosher and Halal slaughtering of animals requires that they be conscious when being slaughtered, a practice that critics allege is cruel, but which advocates insist is more humane than mechanized methods used in non-kosher slaughterhouses.
Kosher meat can be imported into the country, but the supply chain of kosher meat in Europe is not strong enough to rely solely on imports.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated that “beyond the fact that this decision harms the freedom of worship and religion in Europe, a core value of the EU, it also signals to Jewish communities that the Jewish way of life is unwanted in Europe.”
Israel demanded that a way be found to change the ruling, and “to allow Jewish citizens of the EU to continue to observe the practices of the Jewish faith.”
“Any decision otherwise stands in contradiction to the values of religious freedom that EU citizens rightfully support,” the Foreign Ministry added.
While local battles in courts against specific bans in the respective countries is still an option, the CJEU’s ruling essentially seals hope for such legal developments, and will probably encourage other countries to adopt similar policies against this Jewish religious practice.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), stated that ruling “flies in the face of recent statements from the European Institutions that Jewish life is to be treasured and respected.”
The European Court decision “will be felt by Jewish communities across the continent. The bans have already had a devastating impact on the Belgian Jewish community, causing supply shortages during the pandemic, and we are all very aware of the precedent this sets which challenges our rights to practice our religion,” he pointed out.
“Europe needs to reflect on the type of continent it wants to be. If values like freedom of religion and true diversity are integral, then the current system of law does not reflect that and needs to be urgently reviewed,” he said.
(TPS)
