Council Of Europe: Male Ritual Circumcision - "violation of the physical integrity of children"

ז' לחודש השמיני תשע"ד

My comments are interspersed within this article in blue italics, with a conclusion following it.

YNET: Europe Council Votes Against Circumcision
Parliamentary Assembly of Pan-European intergovernmental organization passes resolution calling male circumcision, female genital mutilation 'a violation of the physical integrity of children.' Jewish leader: War against circumcision, ritual slaughter conceals new anti-Semitism

Kobi Nachshoni, October 3, 2013

Are Europe's Jews about to launch a new struggle for the observance of the circumcision ritual across the continent? The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which represents most of the continent's states, has passed a resolution calling male ritual circumcision a "violation of the physical integrity of children according to human rights standards."

This is code for "In Europe, human rights and Torah are not believed to be compatible."

At the end of a debate in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly ruled overwhelmingly that male circumcision and female genital mutilation are forbidden, unless the child is over the age of 15 and has given his or her consent to the practice.

The council passed the resolution based on a report by the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, by a vote of 78 in favor and 13 against, with 15 abstentions.

It calls on the council's member states to "clearly define the medical, sanitary and other conditions to be ensured for practices such as the non-medically justified circumcision of young boys," the JTA reported Wednesday.

Gee. I wonder why the Muslims do not riot over this. Well, their forefather Yishma'el was circumcised at the age of 13 (Gen. 17:23-26). So, I suppose that 15 is close enough. That still does not explain how they are just going to let any laws against "ritual slaughter" slide by. I suppose that the riots will not start until reality sets in for them,...when individual countries make it so.

Fear of wave of legislation
The council further called on states to "initiate a public debate, including intercultural and interreligious dialogue, aimed at reaching a large consensus on the rights of children to protection against violations of their physical integrity according to human rights standards" and to "adopt specific legal provisions to ensure that certain operations and practices will not be carried out before a child is old enough to be consulted."

This is just code for "You are not allowed to follow the Torah."

According to the JTA, large majorities rejected five amendments that sought to remove or alter references to the circumcision of boys. For example, many of the members supported an amendment that removed a reference to the "religious rights of parents and families."

The Council of Europe is a pan-European intergovernmental organization whose resolutions have no legal force and do not bind its member states, but European organizations fear that this declarative move will be perceived as a professional recommendation by the most important body in the continent on democracy and human rights issues, which may lead to a wave of legislation banning circumcision across Europe.

See? Democracy is NOT the Jews' friend! Human rights? Human rights, but not Jewish rights.

The Jewish groups are mainly protesting the failure to distinguish between male circumcision, which is seen as legitimate not just among Jews, and female genital mutilation, which is considered in nearly every culture as a violation of a woman's body and dignity and is strongly opposed by human rights organizations.

A reasonable premise, but these "Jewish groups" are in big time denial that Jew-haters are not reasonable.

'Violation of freedom of religion'
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, told Ynet that in the short time since the resolution was passed, he and his associates had managed to appeal to many of the council members on the issue, and that these members plan to demand a new debate which will consider allowing male circumcision.

"The war against circumcision and ritual slaughter conceals the new anti-Semitism, which is a violation of the freedom of religion all EU countries have signed," said Rabbi Goldschmidt. "Although this is not a binding resolution, it encourages the dark forces which seek to see Europe clean of Jews."

The struggle for the right to practice circumcision has been held in several countries, and in the past year Jewish and Muslim organization scored a significant victory in Germany, where circumcision was permitted after five months of uncertainty since a court in Cologne defined the ritual as "a serious and irreversible interference in the integrity of the human body."

The German parliament passed a law protecting the right to circumcise infant boys and granting parents the right to circumcise their sons using a certified circumciser. Meanwhile, in Scandinavian countries there have been increased calls to ban the ritual.

(Tip Credit: The Torah Revolution)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Well, well, well...

Is anyone surprised? If so, then you've got sand in your ears. You know, from having your head buried in the sand all this time!

With all due respect to Rabbi Goldschmidt, who is doing the galuth (exile) rabbi's job of protecting Jews and Judaism in galuth,...could this act of the EU be just more writing on the wall that European (and North American) Jews simply refuse to see?

New anti-Semitism? This is most certainly not the first time that the practices of brith milah (Jewish circumcision) and shehitah (kosher slaughter) have been fought through legislation. Did no one learn about the Roman Empire in school???

And so, the New and definitely UN-holy, Roman Empire/Edom (B'reishith Rabba) strikes again in its war on The Almighty's Will and His Holy Torah!

Just as Esau reveals his many different faces in the Torah, when going up against his Ya'aqov, so his descendants, whether European "progressive" elite or the Christian Crusaders of today or 1,000 years ago, have always worked toward the same goal,...his (Israel's) destruction.

And, of course,...Esau was never circumcised; he never had a brith milah (ie. not a part of the "covenant")

I cannot emphasis enough, that this is not about giving up the fight for the freedom to be Jewish, and have that protected in galuth (exile). This is about reading the writing on the wall, and moving back to only place where ones Jewish identity can be expressed to its fullest extent.

In this week's parasha Lech-L'cha, Avraham Avinu, then still Avram, was commanded by The Almighty to get up and move out his native land, away from all that he knew, and travel to a Land foreign to him (...to the land that I will show you. - Gen. 12:1), where he and his descendants were to settle.

Rabb Yehudah HaLevy, the author of Sefer HaKuzari teaches that as high a level which Avraham Avinu was on, the only place where he could reach perfection was Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel).*

That perfection, of course, also included brith milah, now on its way to be legislated out of the European Union. The two go together, brith milah and Eretz Ysira'el, along with a third, the Torah, and its various other "signs," such as Shabbath observance.

How long will Jews wait, before they finally realize that Eretz Yisra'el is the ONLY Land for them?

How long will it take for Jews to wake up and realize that they are not truly a part of their nations of temporary residence in galuth?

How long will it take for Jews to remember that galuth?is the punishment? The punishment is NOT having to pack up, leave many of your belongings behind, and travel to a Land foreign to you (...to the land that I will show you. - ibid.), where you and your descendants are to settle.

wait, before they finally realize that Eretz Yisra'el is the ONLY Land for them?

********

*as cited in Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah (2006) by Rabbi Moshe Lichtman