Belgium accuses the US ambassador of disinformation over claims that Jews are accused of circumcision

The Belgian government summoned US Ambassador Bill White for consultations on Tuesday after he accused the country of being anti-Semitic, and intervened in a case involving three Jews who were accused of performing traditional circumcision without the necessary medical training in the country.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the US ambassador’s allegations “dangerous disinformation” and demanded that White respect Belgian institutions and the independence of the country’s courts, adding that the personal attacks and interference violated diplomatic principles.

Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that authorities are investigating three men in the city of Antwerp accused of circumcising without medical training. Local authorities searched the homes of the three men in May, according to a statement from Antwerp police.

White, in a social media post on Monday, labeled the investigation a human rights abuse and asked the country’s health minister to “make a legal provision to allow MOHELS of the Jewish faith to carry out their activities here in Belgium.”

A mohel is a Jewish religious official who performs traditional circumcision, often without formal medical training. The practice is not banned anywhere in the US, although some are the most dangerous aspects of culture have caused controversy in areas with large Orthodox Jewish communities.

“It has been done in all civilized regions [sic] as a legal process. BELGIUM is a civilized country. Stop this unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community here in Antwerp and Belgium,” said White in his post on X. “It’s 2026, you need to enter the 21st century and allow our fellow Jewish families in Belgium to legally exercise their religious freedom!”

“Any suggestion that Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable. Belgium condemns anti-Semitism with the greatest severity. The fight against antisemitism, and all forms of hatred and discrimination, is a very important thing for our country,” said Prévot on his X website. hatred.”

White responded with another post, responding to Prévot by saying, “it’s wrong to simply say ‘we follow the law’ and ‘we’re not antisemitic’. Both of those things can’t be true in this case.”

White said he would visit the three suspects in Antwerp, then asked the Belgian health minister to join him.

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