Upon publication of the ruling, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the RCE and EJA clarified that for years battles have been combated against attempts to ban kosher slaughter throughout the continent with the ECJ in the lead. We will examine every possible legal and parliamentary way to protect the rights of Jews everywhere in Europe.

“This is a sad day for Europe” said Rabbi Margolin ” For decades the issue of protecting animals has grown and the kosher slaughter is under myriad incessant attacks, repeating attempts to ban it. The whole basis of the attacks is built on the completely false premise that kosher slaughter is more cruel than ordinary slaughter, while hunting is allowed in Europe for sporting purposes out of respect for the tradition of the generations. The ruling places animal welfare above the basic right of minorities to freedom of religion and constitutes a serious violation of democracy.

Rabbi Margolin adds and warns that the ruling has treacherous potential for other European Jewish communities, as it allows additional countries to follow Belgium and consider freedom of religion as negotiable. If this happens then there will not be any Kosher meat in Europe.

“The ECJ has sent a horrid message to the European Jews- You and your leaders are not wanted here. It means that our basic rights as citizens of Europe are negated. We cannot let this happen and we will continue to act in every way to ensure that this does not happen.” stated Rabbi Margolin.

The ECJ ruled that in Flanders and Valonia the law is to give an electric shock to the animal before slaughter, violating the rules of Kosher slaughter. The court administered that individual countries in the European Union can create laws prohibiting Kosher slaughter as it doesn’t contradict the rights of freedom of religion, as included in the agreement of the fundamental rights of the EU. The ruling contradicts an opinion given in September 2020 by the ECJ that suggested the opposite.