The United States and Israel are criticizing Belgium after Belgian prosecutors moved toward criminal action in connection with alleged illegal ritual circumcisions in Antwerp. U.S. Ambassador Bill White and Israel’s foreign minister accuse Belgium of antisemitism, arguing that the case targets Jewish religious practice. The dispute centers on a decision by the Antwerp prosecutor, which sources say recommends that two mohalim be prosecuted, alongside separate reporting that criminal charges have been filed or are being pursued against three Jewish men. Belgian officials and prosecutors, meanwhile, focus on the legal basis for the criminal investigation, framed around claims that the procedures may have been carried out outside applicable regulations.
The U.S. and Israeli statements characterize the move as discriminatory toward Jewish communities. Belgian authorities have not been presented in the available reports as accepting that characterization, and the underlying factual questions about what is alleged to have occurred in the circumcisions are not detailed in the coverage. The episode reflects heightened diplomatic tension, with both governments linking the legal process to broader concerns about antisemitism.
