European Jews are preparing for a final battle to prevent a ban on Jewish slaughter in Brussels, a move that would in practice prohibit Jewish slaughter across Belgium.
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Kosher slaughter is already banned in two of the country's three regions.
In closed meetings now underway in Munich, the Conference of European Rabbis expressed concerns that if passed, a Belgium ban on kosher slaughter could lead other countries to follow suit.
In a conversation with Israel Hayom, Brussels Rabbi Abraham Gigi called the ban an "injustice. The slaughter in Belgium is crueler. Hundreds of thousands of animals endure terrible suffering before slaughter, and they don't care. They slaughter 10 million pigs by suffocating them with gas, they hear them screaming, and they don't care …..
"We are worried that if this passes, it could snowball. There are voices in France and many countries in Europe that demand kosher slaughter be canceled," Gigi said.
European Jews have been offered to allow the animals to be stunned before slaughter, something that would violate Halacha. The rabbis, however, believe a solution can be found and are debating whether to agree to a compromise.
The concern, Gigi said, was that stunning prior to slaughter would become the norm. Nevertheless, he said, should they refuse, "We'll lose [Jewish] slaughter in Belgium."
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