Israeli parliament slams German circumcision ban

Sipa via AP Images

(AP) JERUSALEM - An Israeli parliamentary committee on Monday denounced a ruling in Germany banning ritual circumcision, saying the decision infringes upon religious freedom and evokes memories of the worst chapter in German history, the Holocaust.

A regional court in Cologne recently ruled that circumcising young boys for religious reasons amounts to bodily harm, even if parents agree to it. Circumcision of baby boys is a fundamental Jewish religious ritual.

German court rules circumcision goes against "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity"

The ruling was particularly sensitive, given German history and the Holocaust of World War II, when 6 million Jews were killed by German Nazis and their collaborators.

Committee chairman Danny Danon invited the German ambassador to Israel to parliament, seeking clarifications to the court ruling.

"Circumcision is one of the pillars of Judaism, and the last time it was restricted was in Germany during its darkest hour," Danon said at the meeting with the ambassador, which was open to reporters.

Danon said that Israel would not tolerate restrictions on the practice of Judaism anywhere in the world, "and certainly not in Germany."

The German ambassador, Andreas Michaelis, told the Israeli lawmakers his country was working to resolve the issue and that the ruling doesn't apply at the national level.

"It's clear that the ruling prohibiting circumcision is more sensitive in Germany because of the Holocaust," Michaelis said. He noted that the Jewish community in Germany, practically wiped out during the Holocaust, is growing.

The ruling has also drawn criticism from many Muslims, who view circumcision as an important practice in their faith.

A German Justice Ministry spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity according to government regulations, said Monday that legislative action might be needed to protect religious traditions in the wake of the court ruling.

"It's being examined whether there needs to be a change to the laws and if so, in which form," she said.

Pinchas Goldschmidt, the chief rabbi of Moscow and the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said the court's decision was part of what he saw as growing infringement upon religious freedom in Europe.

"We see this development as part of the larger problem in Europe today," he said, citing France's ban on the face-covering Muslim veils and Switzerland's ban on the construction of new minarets for mosques.

"We are hopeful to see the German government address this issue as fast as possible," he said.

[leotrosky]

we notes how the jews to the germany ambassador hey you come here and explain what are yours problem , germany is a sovereign country and has the absolute right to make their own law , like israel do and if the palestinian don't like they can move out nobody hold them is a favor they do to israel and the israeli government don't pleased the palestinian, the same with germany why they have to please they have to please the jews, they don't like move out to their country , no excuses now than they don't have a own country, the problem with the jews they love impose their rules over any country where they chose to live like in U.S.

[TheKritik]

Germany did the right thing.Interestingly all these circumsised people do is kill each other in their region for thousands of years.Circumsision was never a religious thing but a hygenic one.Hundreds or thousand of years ago when hygene was a myth in that area and time,both jews and arabs died by the thousand per day from prostate infections,that's why they came up with the circumsission idea one day,who knows when.

[enlightenu]

yes, too many penae in the prostrate. I guess they figured it was easier than banning homosexuality.

[smittyc]

Israel is a nation of 5.7 million of Jewish descent. U.S. has 5.2 million. Total Jewish pop globally is 13.2 million. Population in Germany 0.1%.

[JackieNO]

I was so happy that someone finnaly stood up to these wackos who still believe that the genital mutilation of baby boys is an acceptable practice in the 21st century. If they want to chop their own let them. But doing it to a defenseless baby is heinous, it should be a crime.

[Quiet_R_Bear]

Do you feel the same way about abortion?

[Hugh_Intactive]

Quiet_R_Bear: Do human rights END at birth?

[formerlyluvnut]

Oh gawd, israel israel israel. Whine whine whine.

[caljack430]

I feel like at least in America, circumcision is a very routine and non-religious thing. I would like to meet a guy who resents his parents for having him circumcised. Its healthier and easier honestly. You have every right to NOT do it, but I feel like an incredibly small portion of men would ever want that flap of skin back.

[JackieNO]

Actually, baby boy p@nis parts removal is falling like a stone I the US. About 60%ofUS men have a natural p@nis.

It is not healthier (especially as to sexual health and function) to be missing parts of your body The inner male prepuce has about 20000 special touch and stretch pleasure nerves. Ther is no observed STD advantage for cut Americans and actually Europe has a lower STD rate.
Cutmen are getting numb member and complaining on the Internet in droves. They're also trying to restore. So many are complaining. It is not a flap of skin.

[Hugh_Intactive]

You can meet 170+ such guys (and growing daily) here: http://www.circumstitions.com/Resent.html#other They're only the tip :) of the iceberg, some of those who've put their heads above the parapet and written about it publicly. There must be many more who haven't. And how many would be enough for you, when it's an unnecessary operation that violated their human rights? It's neither healthier nor easier.

[jwilsonte5]

parents make choice its proven that STD's are 1000 time more likely in a man that has not been circumcium how can it be that 21st centry men can be so STUPID , God gave a brain use it LOL!!!!!!

[JackieNO]

Actually no, cutmen and natural men get the same STDs, HIV and HPV in the US. there was a study of 30,000 American men and there was no advantage to being cut. a New Zealand study tracked men for 30 years and there was no difference in STDs. Cutting off parts of your child's body and shutting down parts of their sensory system is stupid.

[enlightenu]

god gave a flap of skin, use it!

[servorum]

During the 2nd century A.D., the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned brit milah (the "covenant of circumcision") with the result that the Jews of Galilee and Judea rose up and went to war against the Romans in what came to be called the Bar Kochba Revolt, which lasted from A.D. 132-135.

By the end of the war, almost 600,000 Jews had been killed by the Romans.

The Germans should seriously reconsider what they're doing.

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

Why?

[servorum]

RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal,
Why?
Because any ruling power or government that infringes on religious liberties -the ancient Romans, Nazi Germany, the Obama Administration - will collapse in the end.
Israel will survive. Her enemies will not.

[LunaAzule]

Facts: 1.) Circumcision prevents bacteria from accumulating between the folds.
2.) Circumcised men contract less HIV/AIDS. 3.) Circumcision done later in life to prevent the above problems takes longer to heal, has a higher rate of infection (because their mothers/fathers aren't cleaning them often as done when babies and creates more lifelong problems.
Also: Since when did Germany become so protective of it's Jewish citizens as to pass this stupid law?

[JackieNO]

1) fact, cut genitals are not cleaner than natural genitals. a recent study showed that natural boys have the same bacteria as natural girls. Cut boys have different (invasive) bacteria.
2) in the US, cut and natural men get HIV at the same rate. in Zimbabwe, after a circumcision campaign, the cutmen have higher rates of HIV than those not circumcised.
3). About the same percentage of men choose to have parts of their genitals cut off as women. Men, like all humans, like all of their sensory system, and all of their functioning genitals. Most of the world's men have natural genitals and there is no problem.

[credibility2]

Circumcision was instituted for hygienic purposes, but turned into a religious "right". The fact that it's done without an anesthetic is barbaric. The boy baby was born this way and was the Will of God. No man should mess with that.

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

" The boy baby was born this way and was the Will of God. No man should mess with that."

Just as with gays, credibility.