Dutch Jews and agriculture minister agree on protection of religious slaughter rights

The Organisation of Jewish Communities in the Netherlands (NIK), the country’s EJC affiliate has come to an agreement with the Dutch government to enhance the protection of religious slaughter methods for the production of meat.

NIK President Jonathan Soesman and General Director Ruben Vis, together with representatives of the slaughter industry and the Muslim community signed an annexe with the minister of agriculture on Wednesday which complements the 2012 treaty regarding slaughter according to religious rights.

The treaty and addendum will be put into a new regulation which comes into force on January 1, 2018, enabling and guaranteeing the continuation of the right to exercise Shechita in the Netherlands. By mutually signing the annexe it is clear that the earlier signed treaty is executable, which is an important conclusion for Dutch Jews.

The annexe affirms that the Jewish community is entitled to the right to slaughter according to its own religious rites.

The NIK said it considers the addendum as a confirmation of the space to act according to its own Jewish belief and its fulfillment. Where religious rights such as Shechita are under pressure in other European countries, the achievement of NIK is of great value. It can be concluded that freedom of religion can be executed in modern society and must be advocated for, the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

In June 2012, a treaty was signed between the NIK and the minister of agriculture. The treaty was a result of a session in the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in December 2011, rejecting a bill of the Party for the Animals by a large majority, and a resolution by a broad spectrum of political parties calling upon the minister of agriculture to come to an agreement with the religious communities and the slaughterhouse sector to better regulate slaughter according to religious rites and to determine and apply technical refinements.

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