Tensions are high within the Jewish community in Antwerp, Belgium, following early morning police raids on the homes of two prominent mohels (ritual circumcisers) in the city. Officers appeared at the residences of Rabbi Aharon Eckstein and Rabbi Moshe David Landau armed with search warrants issued by the local court.

Eyewitnesses described a forceful police presence, with officers reportedly warning residents, "Either you open or we break in." During the searches, authorities confiscated all circumcision knives from both homes and demanded access to records of children circumcised over the past year.

The police action comes amid ongoing legal proceedings related to a lawsuit filed over a year ago challenging the practice of circumcision within the community. The plaintiff, known for previous confrontations with Jewish institutions across Europe, has extended his allegations beyond the mohels to include rabbis who have served in different positions during the circumcision ceremony, such as the Rebbe of Pshevorsk and even the late Av Beit Din Rabbi David Moshe Lieberman.

The European Jewish Association (EJA) responded sharply to the raids. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the EJA, condemned the move as "another red line crossed," following previous restrictions on kosher slaughter in Belgium.

"This is a clear warning sign to the Jews of Belgium and to the Belgian government," said Rabbi Margolin. "Religious freedom must be preserved. As long as there is the slightest prohibition on circumcision in Belgium, it will be a clear sign to the Jews of Belgium that they are not wanted in the country."

Rabbi Margolin called on legal authorities, lawmakers, and members of the Belgian government to immediately enact legislation safeguarding circumcision as a protected religious practice under national law.