Kosher meat store in Antwerp's Jewish Quarter.

Shechita Banned in Antwerp

The northern Belgium region of Flanders’ parliament unanimously passed a resolution banning ritual slaughter without stunning, rendering Halachically kosher meat illegal to produce. The region is home to the European continent’s largest Orthodox-Jewish population, concentrated in Antwerp.

from the JTA:

The resolution was passed last week, and follows a similar decision approved in May by the Walloon Parliament in southern Belgium, Belgium’s largest region, which is home to just a few hundred Jews.

Both bans will take effect in 2019.

The threat to ban ritual slaughter without stunning has been circulating in Belgium for many years.

Shechitah, the ritual method of slaughtering animals, requires they be conscious when their throats are slit — a practice that critics say is cruel but which advocates insist is more humane than mechanized methods used in non-kosher abattoirs. Muslims slaughter animals in a similar method, albeit with fewer restrictions, to produce halal meat.

Kosher slaughter houses in Antwerp, the capital of the Flemish Region, provide meat to many Jewish communities in Europe.

9 Comments

  • The kangeroo

    Move out of the region.This region is Sedom in it’s infancy and will share the samr fate.

  • Milhouse

    So long as shechita remains permitted in France, it doesn’t matter if Belgium bans it. Belgium is just a “s****y little country”, to quote a certain diplomat, of no importance save for its vibrant Jewish kehilla, and its beer and chocolate. Now if Le Pen had won in France, and had carried out her threat to ban shechita there, it would have been a disaster.

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    What we are afraid of is this beginning of chain reaction–thee are other European countries that ban this kosher practice

  • Yosef Mordechai

    Hey Yidden it’s time to get out of Europe, especially Antwerp, Jews we never welcomed in Europe & it’s very very Anti Semitic, it’s time 2 leave Antwerp & go 2 a Free country & that is USA be it Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Milwakee, Miami or Bklyn, it’s time 2 leave Europe get out now & the same goes 4 Yidden living in Paris do everything u can 2 get out of there, it’s not the right place for Jews come 2 the USA, there is Freedom here, thank u

    • interesting

      Moshe Mordechai you mention 9 american cities and didn’t even mention Eretz Ysroel !!!!???

  • To #5

    You forgot to mention Cleveland, Cleveland is a very nice Frum community, it’s nice & very affordable there is even school vouchers here, hey Yidden living in Antwerp & Paris leave your cities & move to Cleveland, you could buy a house for a decent amount of $$$, BH lots of ppl are moving here & the community is growing strong, so it’s time to say Good Bye Paris !! Good Bye Antwerp & come to the Great City of Cleveland. Buy your tickets now, hey bring your business here whatever it is, thank u CH info for exposing these Anti Semitic Trash in Europe, this is a sign for all yidden to get out, the time is Now !!

  • To #6

    Yes, I didn’t mention Eretz Yisroel on purpose, bec it’s socialized medicine, the US has a better health care system that’s 1 reason the other is that the US is a true democratic county, there is true freedom here, not the same in Isreal. Ty

  • To #5

    I would say Cleveland is the best place we have a great beautiful community & it’s growing & growing, there are school vouchers & plenty of frum schools, if enough Chassidish ppl move out of Antwerp we could get a great Chassidish community growing here, u could buy a nice house for a decent price, for all those Yidden in Antwerp & Paris leave your city & come to Cleveland, there is amazing opportunity here, you won’t get this in Antwerp or Paris, Cleveland is a Great city, so do whatever you can & move to Cleveland. Europe is very very anti semitic & Jews were never welcomed there, the time to get out is Now !! Go Cleveland & USA, after the war Jews should have got out right away not stayed.