Belgium accuses U.S. ambassador of disinformation for claims of antisemitism over circumcision case

Belgium's government summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White for consultations on Tuesday after he accused the country of antisemitism, intervening in a case involving three Jewish religious figures suspected of carrying out traditional circumcisions without the medical training required in the country. In:

Belgium's government summoned U.S. Ambassador Bill White for consultations on Tuesday after he accused the country of antisemitism, intervening in a case involving three Jewish religious figures suspected of carrying out traditional circumcisions without the medical training required in the country.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the American diplomat's allegations "dangerous disinformation" and demanded that White respect Belgian institutions and the independence of the country's courts, and added that personal attacks and interference broke diplomatic norms.

Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that authorities were investigating three men in the city of Antwerp accused of performing circumcisions without medical training. Local authorities conducted searches of the three men's homes in May, according to a statement from the Antwerp Police.

White, in a social media post on Monday, labelled the investigation antisemitic harassment and called on the country's health minister to immediately "make a legal provision to allow Jewish religious MOHELS to perform their duties here in Belgium."

A mohel is a Jewish religious official who performs traditional circumcisions, often without any formal medical training. The practice is not banned anywhere in the U.S., though some higher-risk aspects of the tradition have caused controversy in areas with large Orthodox Jewish communities.