A Belgian court filed indictments on Wednesday morning against three mohelim who were arrested last year in Antwerp following an outrageous complaint filed by a Jew with a history of antagonizing and provoking Jewish kehillos in Europe.
In the wake of the complaint, police raided the homes of three mohelim, including the well-known mohelim HaRav Aharon Eckstein and HaRav Moshe Landau, confiscated their knives, and demanded a list of all the babies they circumcised in the past year.
The mohelim were later released to their homes but have now been formally indicted for performing medical procedures without the presence of a certified physician.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded by stating, “Belgium has just announced the indictment of the three Mohels who were investigated last year in Antwerp. With this act, Belgium joins a short and shameful list, together with Ireland, of countries that use criminal law to prosecute Jews for practicing Judaism.”
“This is a scarlet letter on Belgian society. The Brith Mila is the cornerstone of Jewish faith. Many countries in Europe and around the world have created legal frameworks to facilitate brith and Jewish religious freedom in their countries. I call upon the Belgian government to act immediately and to find a solution.”
In February 2026, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, launched a sharply worded attack on the Belgian government, accusing it of targeting Jewish religious practice and demanding they drop the “ridiculous and antisemitic prosecution” of the mohelim.
“They are doing what they have been trained to do for thousands of years,” he added.
White also personally addressed Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, demanding the establishment of a legal provision that would allow Jewish mohelim to perform their duties lawfully.
At the same time, about 60 Jewish leaders appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking her to condemn the actions against the mohelim. The signatories asserted that the move constitutes a significant violation of religious freedom for the Jewish communities in the country.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
