A decision to prosecute two mohels (circumcisers) in a criminal court has sparked what a Holocaust survivor described as “a shock of historic proportions” within Belgium’s Jewish community.
Regina Sluszny, an 86-year-old survivor of the Holocaust, made the remarks during a commemorative ceremony in Antwerp on Wednesday.
The event marked the 81st Victory, Democracy, and Holocaust Remembrance Day.
An 'attack on a pillar of Jewish faith'
“This is yet another attack on a pillar of Jewish faith in Belgium,” said Sluszny. “When both ritual slaughter and circumcision come under threat in a country, it questions the very possibility of enduring Jewish life there.
"Life for Jews in Belgium is becoming increasingly unbearable and untenable.”
Sluszny dismissed arguments about the independence of the judiciary, calling the legal proceedings an “activist interpretation by magistrates.”
She urged the government to provide clarity and protection, stating that “this is a failure of the authorities.”
'Belgium is not an antisemitic state'
Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who attended the ceremony, stressed that Belgian law has always been compatible with Jewish traditions such as circumcision.
“Belgium is not an antisemitic state—such claims are absurd,” he said. “While circumcision is integral to Jewish and Islamic faiths, we must also respect the requirements of our legislation. A balance must be found.”
De Wever also criticised what he described as a campaign to disparage Belgium, and dismissed recent accusations of antisemitism from the US as “nonsense.”
Prime Minister urges restraint
He expressed support for Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, who had labelled the US statements as wholly inappropriate.
The prime minister reminded attendees that it remained uncertain whether a trial or convictions would occur.
“Fanning the flames of controversy is a bad idea,” he cautioned. “I urge all parties involved to refrain from seeking the spotlight, making baseless declarations, or using charged words like ‘antisemitism’ in this debate. Such actions achieve nothing.”
