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Prime Minister Viktor Orbán described the December decision by the European Court of Justice to ban the kosher slaughter in Jericho, the chairman of the Jewish Agency, in Jerusalem as an attack on religious freedom, the Judeo-Christian heritage and Jewish communities in Europe. Bertalan Havasi, head of the Prime Minister’s Press Office, on Tuesday.
The precedent for this was that the head of the Agency wrote to Viktor Orbán on December 31 calling his attention to this issue, which is of utmost importance for the Jewish communities of Europe.
In his response, Viktor Orbán put it this way: In the last decade, his government has sought to ensure the safety and well-being of the Hungarian Jewish community.
“Thanks to our efforts, we have experienced a revival of Jewish life and culture in Hungary, characterized by such notable events as the Maccabi Games and the annual Jewish Cultural Festival,” he wrote.
In this spirit, Viktor Orbán said that the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which allowed member states to maintain the ban on kosher cuts, was a deep disappointment.
“I believe that this decision is not just an attack on religious freedom, but an attack on our Judeo-Christian heritage and the Jewish communities in Europe. Consequently, my government has quickly condemned this harmful decision and we will do our best to raise it in all Possible international forums. Our word against it, “said Viktor Orbán.
He added that he believes in a Europe that not only guarantees religious freedom, but also proudly defends the Judeo-Christian heritage, traditions and values on which our countries and societies are based.
The European Court of Justice ruled on December 17 last year that it upheld the ban on kosher ritual slaughter in Belgium.
As we wrote above, in Belgium, a law passed in 2017 prohibits the ritual slaughter of animals without stunning, because according to Flemish and Walloon law, this is animal torture. Jewish and Muslim organizations have approached the European Court of Justice because they believe the measure violates their rights to practice their religion, but they have not been successful.
The law, published in December, says the staggering law strikes the right balance between animal welfare and the free practice of religion by Jewish and Muslim believers, writes the Jerusalem Post. The court emphasized that the regulation does not affect the slaughter itself, but only one element of the rite, so it does not interfere with religious practice.
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