The U.S. ambassador to Belgium has slammed the country over the arrest and prosecution of three mohelim, calling the case antisemitic and demanding that all charges be dropped.

Bill White, the United States ambassador to Belgium, accused the Belgian government of targeting Jewish religious practice, and demanded they drop the “ridiculous and antisemitic ‘prosecution’” of the mohelim.

“They are doing what they have been trained to do for thousands of years,” he added.

The controversy began last summer, when police in Antwerp raided homes and detained mohelim suspected of performing bris milah without medical licenses.

Belgian authorities said they were concerned that circumcisions were being carried out by religious practitioners rather than licensed doctors. While Belgium has no law specifically regulating Jewish ritual circumcision, it requires that all medical procedures be performed by certified physicians.

In his post, White directly addressed Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, calling on him to halt the harassment of the Jewish community.

“It’s 2026, you need to get into the 21st century and allow our brethren Jewish families in Belgium to legally execute their religious freedoms!” he wrote. “It’s done in all civilized countries as a legal procedure.”

White also pointed out that bris milah has documented health benefits, in addition to its central religious significance.

The ambassador stressed the personal toll the case has taken on the three mohelim and their families.

“It’s disgusting what’s happened to these fine men and their families because of your inaction,” White wrote.

He announced that he plans to meet with the mohelim in Antwerp next week and invited Vandenbroucke to join him.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)