By COLlive reporter
Days after the Dutch Parliament rejected a ban shechitah in the Netherlands, the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) told a Knesset committee that better public diplomacy was needed in order to prevent the proposed legislation.
“The only way to prevent a wave of anti-shechitah legislation in Europe is by explaining the facts,” Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, Deputy Director of the (RCE) told the Aliya, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
The meeting, headed by Danny Danon of the Likud party, was organized to discuss the attempts by various parties, including the Green parties, across Europe to proscribe religious animal slaughter.
“We have been in touch with one of the largest advertizing agencies to lead an experimental campaign in the Netherlands,” Rabbi Goldberg reported. “However, it is an extremely costly venture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora should share the burden.”
The meeting was initiated by Knesset members Avraham Michaeli and David Azoulay, both from the Shas party, Uri Maklev from the United Torah Judaism Party and Jacob Edery from the Kadima Party.
Also, in attendance were representatives from the communities and organizations involved in the campaign to halt the wave of legislation against shechitah.
Attendees heard from Chabad Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, Chief Rabbi of the Inter Provincial Chief Rabbinate (IPOR) and a senior member of the RCE, who flew in for the meeting.
“The legislation against shechitah did not emanate from an anti-Semitic worldview,” said Rabbi Jacobs, who is also President of the Rabbinical Counsel for the Netherlands. “So attacking the Dutch Government as somehow anti-Semitic is only harmful to us.”
Rabbi Jacobs explained that behind the campaign was the fight against the attempted Islamisization of Holland and the desire to protect animal rights.
“As of today, the proposed law would prohibit kosher slaughter in the Netherlands, but that such a proscription should be fought on the basis that it contravenes the Dutch Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion for all Dutch citizens,” he said.
Apart from the legislation in Holland, there have been repeated attempts to proscribe shechitah in Europe, using European Union institutions.
“The wave of legislation was caused by Muslims around Europe who mass slaughter in parks, backyards and even in their apartments with the blood leaking into the neighbors’ homes,” explained Rabbi Yaakov Alharar, Chief of Staff for Israel’s Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
The legislation would require the electric stunning of an animal before it is slaughtered, which is against Jewish Law.
The committee was also attended, amongst others, by representatives from the Conference of European Rabbis, Moshe Friedman and Yisrael Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni, Pinchas Kornfeld of the European Bureau of Shechita, Rabbi David Levinger, former Chief Rabbi of Basel and the author of several books on shechitah.
Members from all major Israeli parties were present, indicating their uniform objection to “limitation of freedom of religion to Jews,” as Danny Danon of the Likud pointed out.
Alon Nuriel, the representative of Religious Affairs Minister, Yaakov Margi mentioned the recent visit and address by Margi to the European Parliament during the RCE conference to discuss the issue in front of European parliamentarians.
Shmuel Ben-Shmuel, head of the Diaspora and World Religions at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said that his office is “handling the issue for years” and that the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands worked with legislators, Jewish organizations and public figures.
However, representatives of Jewish organizations in Europe, as well as Knesset members denied his words – and argued that this activity is hardly noticeable.
Holland’s Rabbi Jacobs ironically noted that the ambassador had never turned to him about the issue and they’ve never met…
Throughout the world applaud our dear shvogger Rabbi Jacobs and our sister Bluma for the tremendous work they do for the Dutch Kehila.
Keep up the good work
Finally someone that really cares about a few other yidden stuck in the real golus! Never give up hope on even one yid!
Good to see you Abba !! we are so proud of you,
from all you kinderlach, and einiklach from all over the world !
BS”D
1) is right. In addition, I think Chabad is now the symbol of the proud and good Jew who holds his head up high as he helps his fellow man, whereas the weakened, mismanaged, strife-ridden state has sadly become the focus of international antisemitism.
The medine often relies on Chabad to do its dirty work – help its citizens who are in jails, hospitals etc throughout the world. However, Jews cannot rely on the medine. It would like to think it represents world Jewry, but in reality it is the tail trying to wag the dog – its very existence relies on the goodwill of Jews and non-Jews throughout the world, and that goodwill is wearing very thin.