'Ban on ritual slaughter caused distress to the Jewish community in Poland and beyond'
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New Polish PM urged to reverse ban on ritual slaughter
In letter of congratulations, European Jewish Association leader calls on Ewa Kopacz to 'use all available means' to overturn legislation against Jewish practice in Poland.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the general director of the European Jewish Association (EJA), offered his congratulations to Poland's new Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz on her entry into office Thursday, as he recalled the stalled review of the country’s controversial ban on the practice of ritual slaughter.
The EJA has led an extensive campaign aimed at lobbying relevant authorities to accept the opinion of Polish Ombudsman Prof. Irena Lipowicz in support of ritual slaughter, after the Polish parliament voted to outlaw the historic practice.
Reflecting on the "distress caused to the Jewish community in Poland and beyond," in light of the lack of activity since the November 2013 agreement by the Polish Constitutional Court to reconsider the legislation, Rabbi Margolin called on Donald Tusk’s successor to "use all available means to garner a majority of parliamentarians in order to reverse the bill on ritual slaughter."
Rabbinical Conference
Kobi Nachshoni
Standing committee of Conference of European Rabbis meets at seat of Council of Europe in Strasbourg, calls on continent's leaders to protect Jews' religious rights.
Rabbi Margolin has met with many ambassadors to the EU, as well as with former Polish prime minister Jerzy Buzek and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brok to garner their support for EJA’s campaign for freedom of religion in Poland and throughout the continent.
Prof. Lipowicz also appealed to former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk on the indisputable need to start appropriate legislative work to comprehensively regulate ritual slaughter in the country.
Rabbi Margolin has stressed to dignitaries the danger such legislation poses for the future of Europe’s Jewish communities, saying that it sends the unpalatable message to Europe’s Jews that they are no longer welcome in their historic homelands.
Last week, Rabbi Margolin slammed similar moves in Belgium, following claims by Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts on Belgian television Sunday that he would actively pursue a total ban on the practice of animal slaughter without pre-stunning.
Responding to the latest attack on the ancient Jewish ritual, which if successful would be implemented by 2015, Rabbi Margolin emphasized that the Jewish practice of "shechita" is "the most humane method of slaughter," as it ensures the welfare of the animal not only at the time of slaughter, but also concerns itself with "the conditions in which animals are raised before their slaughter."
The EJA has previously campaigned against legislation to restrict the practice of ritual slaughter in Denmark. Following Rabbi Margolin’s meetings with European commissioners, including Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg, the Commission promised to seek clarification on any legislation which proposes to restrict the practice of religious slaughter.
