Chairman of the Jewish Agency Isaac Herzog sent letters to European leaders calling on them not to follow the European Union's ruling that effectively bans kosher slaughter.
If the ruling is adopted in other countries, it will make it impossible for Jewish life to continue there.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Earlier in December, the European Court of Justice backed a regulation imposed in most of Belgium that bans the slaughter of livestock without stunning. The court ruled that national authorities can order mandatory stunning for animals before slaughter.
Activists argue the measure will reduce the suffering of the livestock, but critics of the regulation point out that it curbs religious freedom.
In his letter Herzog stressed that "prohibiting these traditions is tantamount to outlawing Judaism itself. The ruling casts a shadow of disgrace on traditions that date back thousands of years."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
