The Jewish Association of Europe (EJA) raised concern on Sunday as the Polish parliament prepared to vote on a bill that would put restrictions on kosher slaughterhouses.
According to the EJA, the 48-page bill would affect a significant number of Jewish communities in Europe, even though it does not specifically mention kosher slaughter. The bill prohibits the slaughter of animals that are in an "unnatural state," which presumably prevents the slaughter of animals while standing up. "This makes it very difficult to perform kosher slaughter due to some kashrut laws that forbid to apply any pressure on the knife to protect the animal from unnecessary pain," EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Sunday.
The bill's provisions also make the export of kosher meat illegal. According to a statement released by the EJA on Sunday, the bill's restriction on exporting kosher meat from Poland "would affect a very large part of the Jewish communities in Europe" because kosher slaughterhouses sell their products all across the continent and beyond.
The bill is expected to go up for a vote this week in the lower house of parliament. Under the bill, violators will face up to four years in jail. The latest controversy comes just a week after Poland passed a new law that makes it a criminal offense to blame Polish authorities or the Polish people as a whole for the atrocities of the Nazis during World War II. That law has led to tension between the Israeli and Polish governments. Last week the Polish president said he would refer the bill to the country's constitutional court after signing it, which paves the way for additional amendments and challenges.
Margolin warned Sunday that the upcoming vote could be a bad omen for what lies ahead in the country. "The situation in Poland is unacceptable. I call on the government in Poland to avoid enacting this shameful law and to take into account that the Jewish people's faith in the Polish leadership is deteriorating. I can't imagine what the next stage will be after the Holocaust law and imposing restrictions on kosher slaughter in the country," Margolin wrote on Facebook.
