The European Jewish Congress is calling on Dutch politicians not to vote for a ban on Jewish ritual slaughter. A bill that would ban the practice is slated for presentation to the Dutch Parliament for consideration in the near future.
EJC President Moshe Kantor argued that such a ban “would mean that Dutch politicians are turning their backs on the tolerant Holland that we admire.”
Shechita, permissible under European law, is protected under the freedom of religious practice clause of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights.
“While the legislation was drafted ostensibly because of animal rights concerns, it is a slippery slope to populism, extremism and anti-Semitism,” Kantor warned. “We call on Dutch politicians to carefully consider the ramifications of this bill and what it could do to Jewish life in Holland.”