Today, May 6, 2026, a major diplomatic rift erupted after Belgian prosecutors in Antwerp formally moved to indict Jewish ritual circumcisers (mohalim) on criminal charges. Religious leaders, including the Conference of European Rabbis, have equated the move to historical bans on circumcision, calling it "state harassment" of a 3,500-year-old tradition.

This legal and diplomatic crisis is drawing direct comparisons to the historic "Portuguese Dreyfus" case, as Captain Barros Basto was officially condemned for facilitating Jewish circumcisions for his students, which the authorities labeled "immoral" in 1937.

Almost after a century, the Belgian case centers on the performance of Brit Milah (ritual circumcision) by rabbis who are not licensed medical doctors, which Belgian authorities classify as the "unlawful practice of medicine" and "intentional assault".

Prosecutors have classified the ritual as intentional assault or battery with premeditation against minors and the unlawful practice of medicine. While ritual circumcision is not banned in Belgium, the law requires it to be performed by a certified surgeon or medical professional.

"Belgium is today a depraved country with streets full of perverts, muggers, and Islamic radicals, but the alleged criminals are our mohalim," according to Josef Cohen, a member of the Jewish Community of Porto who is working in Brussels for NATO. "It's time for Israel and the United States to use means appropriate to the gravity of what is happening," he adds.

The investigation began in May 2025 following police raids in Antwerp's Jewish quarter. The initial complaint came from a mentally ill person who had been expelled from the community. The same had happened in Porto in the 1930s and the local Dreyfus regretted having given a loving hand to the scum of society who later betrayed him.

Now, in Belgium, the so-called suspects are scheduled to appear before a pre-trial chamber on June 18, 2026, where it will be decided if the case proceeds to a full criminal trial.

US Ambassador Bill White called the prosecution a "shameful stain" and "disgusting," stating that one of the indicted men is an American citizen. He warned that "Belgium will be thought of now as antisemitic by the world" unless the government legalizes the practice for religious figures. The Trump administration wants the matter resolved promptly or else it will have to use appropriate coercive means.

The move has drawn fierce condemnation in Israel who view the prosecution as a direct assault on Jewish religious life. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the indictments a "scarlet letter" on Belgian society. He accused Belgium of joining a "shameful list" of countries that use criminal law to persecute Jews for practicing their faith. In turn, Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Kalman Ber, described the move as a "war against Judaism".

Organizations like the Forum of Jewish Organisations (FJO) and the Coordinating Committee of Belgian Jewish Organisations (CCOJB) have expressed "profound unease," describing the police raids as "a violation of religious freedom".

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the president of European Jewish Association (EJA) warned that the "harassment of mohels" is a "red line" and follows recent Belgian bans on ritual slaughter. In turn, Gabriel Senderowicz, Board Member of the same organization and president of the Jewish Community of Porto, says that "we are all getting fed up with the empty talk surrounding the independence of the judiciary, which in practice is always a weapon used by corrupt states to attack their axiological adversaries. What does Belgium do to combat anti-Jewish hatred? Nothing. What does Belgium do to promote Jewish life? Nothing. What is the wording for the crime of antisemitism in Belgium? It doesn't exist, neither directly nor indirectly. Jews don't count. Therefore, let's put an end to this empty talk once and for all."