US ambassador and antisemitism watchdog condemn Antwerp prosecutions as attack on Jewish life.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) has sharply criticized criminal charges filed against three mohels in Belgium, calling the case deeply troubling for the country’s Jewish community.
Last May, police in Antwerp detained several mohels suspected of conducting Jewish circumcisions without medical licenses. Three have since been formally charged with performing a medical intervention without proper authorization.
Mohels are religious practitioners trained to perform brit milah — the Jewish ritual circumcision that has been observed for millennia.
US Ambassador Condemns Prosecution
Bill White, the US Ambassador to Belgium, publicly called for the investigations to be dropped, labeling the prosecution antisemitic in a forceful statement posted on X.
He stated that antisemitism in any form must be confronted and urged Belgian authorities to reconsider what he described as a “ridiculous and antisemitic prosecution.”
CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa echoed the criticism, describing the arrests as a “witch-hunt” targeting individuals carrying out a longstanding religious tradition.
CAM warned that the case is having a chilling effect on Belgium’s Jewish population, arguing that actions perceived as targeting core religious practices send a troubling message.
The controversy touches on broader European debates balancing religious freedom, medical regulation, and minority rights. Critics of the prosecution argue that religious circumcision has long been legally practiced in many countries and is central to Jewish identity.
Belgian authorities have not publicly framed the case as religiously motivated, but advocacy groups say the impact on Jewish communal life is significant.
As legal proceedings continue, the case has drawn international attention and intensified discussions over religious liberty protections in Europe.
