Overview
- U.S. Ambassador Bill White urged Belgium to drop charges against three mohels in Antwerp, calling the prosecution ridiculous and antisemitic in a post on X.
- Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot rejected the accusation, called the remarks unacceptable and a breach of diplomatic norms, and summoned the ambassador for a meeting.
- Prosecutors have advanced cases for performing a medical procedure without a license following police raids in May 2024, with no trial date set.
- The investigation followed a complaint by Rabbi Moshe Friedman alleging practices including metzitzah b’peh, while Belgian law requires circumcisions to be performed by licensed physicians.
- White says he will visit Antwerp to meet the accused and has pressed Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke for a legal pathway for mohels, as EU and Belgian figures discuss regulatory clarity.