London – Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks: Dutch ‘Shechita’ Vote A ‘Dark Day In History’

London – A vote by the Dutch Parliament’s lower house to make it compulsory for animals to be stunned before slaughter has been condemned by Jewish leaders, with the Chief Rabbi saying the decision represents “a dark day in the country’s history”.

The vote moves the country a step nearer to effectively outlawing Jewish and Muslim religious methods of slaughter, with the upper chamber set to decide whether the bill becomes law later this year. Community leaders maintain that shechita is humane.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, who travelled to Holland two weeks ago to present the case for shechita, said: “This is a bad decision and a dark day in Dutch history. The vote follows a mischievous campaign by the animal rights lobby, based on emotive images and questionable science. By becoming the first member of the EU since its foundation to ban shechita, Holland, which once led Europe in promoting religious liberty, now leads Europe in abandoning it.”

Lord Sacks, who has warned shechita could soon come under threat in Britain if the Dutch proposal was enacted, added: “I urge parliamentarians to think again before allowing this ill-conceived proposal to become law.”