The Dutch Parliament is currently considering legislation that would
ban shechita, adding the Netherlands to a list of European
countries where it is prohibited.
Shechita is banned in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, but the current
bill would set a precedent since, if passed, Holland would become the
first country to ban shechita since the formation of the European
Union, which could then spread from one country to the next —
possibly even reaching the U.S. — and severely inhibit Jewish
life.
Officially the bill is not intended to harm Jews, but was initiated by
environmentalist and animal rights groups working to combat
experiments performed on animals to test cosmetics and even
experiments conducted to develop drugs. However, a vague antisemitism
lurks behind the initiative, along with an attempt to constrict
Muslims, who also adhere to a special set of slaughtering practices.
The bill was presented by the Party for the Animals (PWD), an
opposition party backed by the Party for Freedom (PVV), a far right
party led by Geert Wilders, who combats Muslim immigration to
Holland.
The ostensive aim of the bill is to reduce suffering of animals by
having them all stunned with an electric shocker before slaughter, a
practice prohibited by halacha, which requires that the animal be
fully conscious at the time of shechita. Stunning is a statutory
requirement in the European Union, but exceptions are made for
shechita and Muslim ritual slaughter. Many researchers maintain that
halachic shechita is the most humane way of slaughtering animals, and
it is clear that definite steps are taken with the benefit of the
animals in mind.
Holland's Jewish community, which numbers 25,000, is speaking out and
trying to organize a lobby to assist them. Opposition to the bill has
been joined by numerous Jewish organizations, such as the Simon
Wiesenthal Center and the European Jewish Congress (EJC), which has
instructed its representatives in Jewish communities in Germany,
France and Britain to meet with Dutch ambassadors and explain to them
that the law would harm the country's image internationally. Meanwhile
in Israel, Knesset members are slated to meet with a delegation of the
Dutch parliament to discuss the issue.
According to an EJC official, "Holland is putting animal rights before
human rights. The Jews are not the target, but they will suffer from
this."
The Israeli embassy at The Hague voiced concern over the move, saying,
"We hope that Holland will uphold the status quo of Jewish slaughter
and realize that Jewish halacha upholds respect for animals." The
embassy sounded pessimistic, noting the difficulty of confronting the
green movements spreading worldwide.
