Belgium accuses US ambassador of disinformation over accusations of anti-Semitism in circumcision case

The Government of Belgium summoned the United States ambassador, Bill White, to consultations on Tuesday after he accused the country of anti-Semitism, intervening in a case involving three Jewish religious figures suspected of performing traditional circumcisions without the medical training required in the country.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the US diplomat’s accusations “dangerous disinformation” and demanded that White respect Belgian institutions and the independence of the country’s courts, adding that personal attacks and interference violate diplomatic norms.

Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that authorities were investigating three men in the city of Antwerp accused of performing circumcisions without medical training. Local authorities conducted searches at the three men’s homes in May, according to a statement from Antwerp police.

White, in a social media post on Monday, called the investigation anti-Semitic harassment and called on the country’s health minister to immediately “adopt a legal provision to allow Jewish religious MOHELS to perform their duties here in Belgium.”

A mohel is a Jewish religious official who performs traditional circumcisions, often without any formal medical training. The practice is not prohibited anywhere in the United States, although some riskiest aspects of tradition They have caused controversy in areas with large Orthodox Jewish communities.

“It is done in all civilized countries [sic] as a legal procedure. BELGIUM is a civilized country. Let’s stop this unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community here in Antwerp and in Belgium,” White said in his post on

“Any suggestion that Belgium is anti-Semitic is false, offensive and unacceptable. Belgium condemns anti-Semitism with the utmost firmness. The fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination is an absolute priority for our country,” Prévot said in his own post on

White responded with another post, responding to Prévot that “it is not okay to simply say that ‘we follow the law’ and ‘we are not anti-Semitic.’ Both cannot be true in this case.”

White said he would visit the three defendants in Antwerp and asked Belgium’s Health Minister to accompany him.

Prévot said Belgian law “permits ritual circumcision when performed by a qualified doctor under strict health and safety regulations,” adding that he would not comment on an ongoing investigation.