A Belgian probe into suspected illegal circumcisions sparked a fresh diplomatic spat Wednesday, as Israel and the United States renewed charges of antisemitism against the country.
The row began in February after it came to light that Belgium was investigating several mohels, men who carry out circumcisions according to Jewish law, over suspicion of illegally practising medicine.
Belgium, Israel and the United States traded fresh barbs Wednesday after a request to refer the case against two suspects to the Antwerp criminal court.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the move as “a scarlet letter on Belgian society” in a post on X. “With this act Belgium joins a short and shameful list, together with Ireland, of countries that use criminal law to prosecute Jews for practising Judaism,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot rebuked his Israeli counterpart in a post responding to Saar. He told him to stop his “caricatures”, saying the country’s judiciary was independent and “free from any political influence”.
He noted the proceedings had been initiated by representatives of the Jewish community and rejected “defamatory” claims that Belgium was undermining Jewish people’s religious freedom. Prevot suggested a meeting with Saar in Israel “in order to put an end to any misinterpretations”.
In another post, he responded to comments by the US ambassador to Belgium Bill White, who had condemned the men’s prosecution as “antisemitic”. “I urge you to exercise greater restraint and to view your role in its proper context,” the Belgian minister said. “It is inappropriate to publicly criticise a country and tarnish its image simply because you disagree with judicial proceedings. I have already told you this,” said Prevot.
“Would you consider it acceptable for our Ambassador in Washington to do the same?” he added. US envoy White had condemned the prosecution of the pair, one of whom he said is American, as “WRONG and won’t be tolerated” in his post. In Belgium, all medical procedures — including male circumcision — must be performed by a qualified healthcare professional. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office said the indictment was ready and contained sufficient evidence to request two men be tried on charges of “premeditated assault and battery of two minors” and “practising medicine without a licence”.
