Israel calls Polish ban on shechita 'totally unacceptable'
By HERB KEINON
Israel on Monday slammed the Polish parliament's decision to uphold a ban on ritual slaughter (shechita), issuing a rare statement criticizing the decision of a foreign, democratic parliament."Israel is disappointed in the decision of the Polish Parliament to forbid an important religious ritual which has been common practice among millions of Jews since ancient times," the statement read. "The Parliament's decision to reject a bill allowing kosher slaughter in Poland is totally unacceptable."To further illustrate Israel's displeasure, the Foreign Ministry summonsed Poland's ambassador to Jerusalem to register a formal protest about the matter."Poland's history is intertwined with the history of the Jewish people," the statement said "This decision seriously harms the process of restoring Jewish life in Poland. We are astonished that Poland, of all EU countries, should be the one where kosher slaughter will be forbidden.The ministry statement said the Polish move was not "in line with the openness and modernity that democratic Poland boasts."
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