Israel has called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a body that brings together legislators from 47 countries across the European continent, to rescind ‘’immediately’’ a resolution it passed this week which calls male ritual circumcision a “violation of the physical integrity of children”.
The Strasbourg-based Assembly overwhelmingly adopted the resolution tabled by German Sociaist MP Marlene Rupprecht, who is the rapporteur of the Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development.
‘’Despite the committed legislative and policy measures which have been taken by Council of Europe member States to protect children from physical, sexual and mental violence, they continue to be harmed in many different contexts. One category is particularly worrisome, namely violations of the physical integrity of children which supporters tend to present as beneficial to the children themselves despite evidently negative life-long consequences in many cases: female genital mutilation, the circumcision of young boys for religious reasons, medical interventions during the early childhood of intersex children as well as the submission to or coercion of children into piercings, tattoos or plastic surgery,’’ the resolution said.
It calls on the Parliamentary Assembly to urge the Council of Europe member States ‘’to promote further awareness in their societies of the potential risks for children's physical and mental health of the above-mentioned procedures. Member States should take legislative and policy measures that help reinforce child protection in this context by giving primary consideration to the best interest of the child.’’
The resolution was passed by a vote of 78 in favor and 13 against, with 15 abstentions.
Amendments that sought to remove or alter references to the circumcision of boys were rejected. Also, an amendment that removed a reference to the “religious rights of parents and families” was supported by a large majority of the pan-European assembly.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry recalled that ‘’circumcision of male children is an ancient religious tradition of two important religions, Judaism and Islam, and it is also common among some Christian circles.’’
‘’Any comparison of this tradition to the reprehensible and barbaric practice of female genital mutilation is either appalling ignorance, at best, or defamation and anti-religious hatred, at worst,’’ it added.
‘’Claims that circumcision harms young boys’ health and body are false, and do not rest on any scientific evidence. Rather the contrary is true. For example, an official paper published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in August 2012 shows the health benefits of newborn male circumcision.’’
Israel stressed that the Assembly’s resolution ‘’constitutes an intolerable attack both on the respectable and ancient religious tradition that lies at the base of European culture, and on modern medical science and its findings.’’
‘’This resolution casts a moral stain on the Council of Europe, and fosters hate and racist trends in Europe. We call on the Council of Europe to act without delay in order to annul it.’’
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag also slammed the resolution.
“It is an exceptionally wrong decision,” he said. “Because parliaments, politicians, governments, unions, international organizations cannot decide on issues regarding people’s beliefs, what they should believe or not. This is a decision that is in conflict with the EU’s own acquis, European values, freedom of religion and conscience,” he added.
Although the resolution is non-binding it reignites the assault on Jewish life in Europe.
Last year in Germany a court in Cologne ruled ritual circumcision amounted to grievous bodily harm. The case was sparked by the death of a Muslim boy due a botched circumcision and set a precedent for nation-wide ban. The case led to outrage and protests in Jewish communities around the world.
Germany’s government later passed a bill in the Bundestag, the federal parliament, to protect and legalise male circumcision by authorised trained practitioners. The initiative was led by Chancellor Angela Merkel who warned a circumcision ban could turn Germany into a laughing stock as the only country to ban the Jewish ritual.
Recently, an official body in Sweden called for the country to ban circumcision arguing that the practice contravenes the basic rights of boys.
Kosher slaughter has also come under attack in Europe. In Poland, the practice of rituaml slaughter was halted last year affter the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that killing livestock without first stunning the animal violated the country’s laws forcing Halal and kosher producers to stop operation.
With anti-Semitism growing in some parts of Europe and as attacks against Jewish practices and religious freedom continue, some Jews are wondering how long they will be able to call Europe their home.