NEW YORK / BRUSSELS – The president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Friday reacted with “immense disappointment” at the decision by the Sejm, Poland’s legislature, to ban religious slaughter of animals in the country. “This decision is a slap in the face of Jews and Muslims alike. It is a bitter blow for all those who undertook great efforts to bring about a renaissance of Jewish life in post-Communist Poland. I am wondering what sort of message those who voted in favor of the ban wanted to send to their non-Christian citizens, or to Poland's many Jewish well-wishers throughout the world,” Lauder said.
The WJC president added: “Jews who observe Kashrut [the Jewish dietary laws] have reason to ask themselves if they are still welcome in Poland. Today, the country that once had the largest Jewish community in the world and which was the epicenter of the Shoah has become the first European country since World War II to ban religious slaughter.
“In the Sejm debate, some speakers even claimed that Shechita was foreign to Poland’s culture, a notion that is both upsetting and wrong. I wonder if the lawmakers are aware of the far-reaching implications their decision is going to have, and I very much hope that they will reconsider and repeal this ban soon,” he pointed out.
The prohibition of kosher slaughter in Poland meant that observant Jews would from now on have to rely on expensive imported meat in the future, Ronald S. Lauder noted. Given that Poland was a major exporter of kosher and halal meat, including to Israel, he predicted that the ban will also adversely affect Jewish and Muslim communities outside the country, and Poles employed in the industry.
About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.
