The World Jewish Congress strongly rejected a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) which calls on European governments and lawmakers to restrict religious circumcision.
WJC President Ronald S. Lauder declared: "Unfortunately, PACE has adopted a one-sided resolution that equates serious injuries to children, such as female genital mutilation, with religious circumcision of newborn boys. The claim that the Brit Milah, which is performed by specially trained circumcisers (mohels), constitutes an infliction of permanent bodily harm on a baby is wrong and is not supported by any scientific evidence. The Council of Europe should defend well-established religious rights instead of undermining them."
Israel accused the Council of Europe (CoE) assembly, which is composed of lawmakers of the CoE member states, of fostering hatred and racism and urged PACE to immediately rescind the resolution.
"Any comparison of (male circumcision) to the reprehensible and barbaric practice of female genital mutilation is either appalling ignorance, at best, or defamation and anti-religious hatred, at worst," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. It said circumcision of male children was "an ancient religious tradition" in Judaism and Islam and among some Christian groups, and was medically beneficial. The resolution cast "a moral stain on the Council of Europe, and fosters hate and racist trends in Europe."
The document cited research supporting the medical benefits of male circumcision, but its main advocate, the German Social Democratic lawmaker Marlene Rupprecht, said she backed opposing medical opinion, which she quoted in the notes to the resolution.
CoE member states are urged to consider the impact of non-medical interventions in light of the child's best interests in order to define lines of action as well as the medical and other conditions to be ensured for certain religious practices "such as the non-medically justified circumcision of young boys".
The Council of Europe has 47 member states, including Russia and Turkey. It is independent of the European Union and promotes democracy and human rights across Europe. However, it does not make laws and has little power to enforce its recommendations.
In December, Germany enacted a law to protect the right to circumcise infant boys in a show of support for Muslims and Jews who had been angered by a local court ban on the practice earlier last year.
