By Spengler, ASIA TIMES
A version of the essay below appeared in the Dutch-language daily newspaper De Volkskrant on June 16. For months, the Dutch parliament has debated a bill that would ban kosher slaughter on supposed humanitarian grounds. On June 23, parliament offered a compromise according to which the Jewish community will have a chance to demonstrate that this 3,000-year-old practice does not cause animals to suffer. Given that kosher slaughter is mandated in order to prevent animal suffering, the entire proceeding is grotesque. This might seem like an esoteric issue affecting a small religious minority; on the contrary, I argue, it is on just such questions that the moral survival of the West depends – Spengler.
For the first time in Western history, the physical as well as emotional pain felt by animals became a human concern three
millennia ago in the Jewish Scriptures. Not only does the Hebrew Bible prohibit meat obtained by hunting – the least humane way of killing animals – but it forbids the owner of an ox from muzzling the beast while it threshes grain, or killing a calf in the presence of the mother cow.
The sanctity of all life, animal as well as human, informs all of Jewish religious law, including the painless killing of animals through kosher slaughter. The biblical heritage of the West is the well from which we draw our modern concept of the sanctity of life. Holland’s Party of the Animals now proposes to poison this well.
Jewish standards for humane treatment of animals are far more restrictive than those of the Netherlands, or indeed of any country in the world. There is no bill presently before the Dutch parliament to ban consumption of wild game, which is killed in the hunt by methods that often inflict considerable suffering. Nonetheless, there is a bill to ban kosher slaughter, which was designed from the outset to inflict the minimum of pain.
Evidence is overwhelming that kosher slaughter is just as humane as any modern method of killing animals, and more humane as a matter of practice. The standard method in today’s slaughterhouses – shooting a bolt into the animal’s forehead – has a high failure rate, and animals frequently are shot several times before losing consciousness.
Temple Grandin, America’s foremost expert on humane treatment of cattle, published the definitive study on the subject in the May 2006 issue of the journal Anthropology of Food. Professor Grandin was the subject of an eponymous 2010 feature film.
Observing the slaughter of animals by a trained Jewish specialist, she reported: “I was relieved and surprised to discover that the animals don’t even feel the super-sharp place as it touches their skin. They made no attempt to pull away. I felt peaceful and calm.” More skill is required for humane slaughter without stunning, Grandin observes, but Jewish religious law requires special implements and a very high level of skill. Muslim halal slaughter, according to Grandin, has no such safeguards.
But all this is well known, and has little to do with present proposals to prohibit kosher practices in Holland, where a single schochet slaughters a couple of thousand animals a year – against perhaps 400 million killed by a bolt in the brain delivered by a semi-skilled slaughterhouse worker who often must repeat the procedure on a suffering animal.
It is yet another blow against the tiny remnant of once-great observant Jewish community whose association with Dutch liberty and national prowess goes back half a millennium, to the arrival of refugees from the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities at the turn of the 16th century.
Three-quarters of Dutch Jews died in the Holocaust, a higher proportion than in any country except Poland. To harry the tiny observant remnant appears obscene. But the broader issue at stake is not the survival of Dutch Jewry, but whether the West has the moral resources to survive.
Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) sanctifies life as a matter of daily practice. For observant Jews, the notion that all life testifies to its creator is not an abstraction, not a philosophical argument, but a mode of living that orders the most basic of human functions, including nutrition. The Jewish people thus are a living link to man’s first comprehension of the sanctity of life.
As the American Jewish theologian Michael Wyschogrod explains, the Book of Genesis tells us that even if the animals are not as close to God as are we, neither are they so far from him. To kill and eat them is a grave matter; we have no rational calculus by which to weigh the human requirement for nutrition against the trace of the divine in animal life. That is why Jews may consume meat only with supernatural sanction, under restrictions imposed by God himself, with a sense of awe at the God who rules over life and death.
Those who reject religious arguments – as do the majority of today’s Europeans – should nonetheless ask by what measure they gauge the value of animal suffering. Jews observe the ancient dietary laws because they believe that God asked them to do so. Whether or not the Hebrew Bible was given to Moses on Mount Sinai by God, the rules it set forth for kindness towards animals had no precedent in human affairs. And the influence upon ethics of this innovation cannot be overstated. If we must respect animal life – not only physical suffering, but even the emotional sensibility of animals – then we must respect human life and dignity all the more.
What is the alternative to the biblical argument? The intellectual leader of the animal rights movement, Peter Singer of Princeton University, argues that a healthy piglet has more right to life than a deformed human infant. Dutch voters should ask themselves whether they really wish to exchange the biblical concept of sanctity of life for Singer’s monstrous utilitarianism. Precisely because the Western concept of sanctity of life derives from the Hebrew bible, observant Jewish communities form an irreplaceable link in the cultural DNA of the West, and to suppress their most essential practices would be an act of cultural suicide.
It would be a bitter irony indeed if the Netherlands, which first established religious freedom in the modern world, were to destroy Jewish life within its borders by prohibiting Jews from sanctifying life through kashrut – all in the specious pursuit of animal welfare.
[Bans on kosher slaughter are in place in Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In 2010, New Zealand followed on supposed humanitarian grounds, but the ruling was partially reversed when the country’s High Court heard evidence that the Agriculture Minister, David Carter, owned shares in companies that exported lamb to Muslim countries, and was told that banning kosher slaughter of lamb would be good for his investments. The ban on kosher slaughter of poultry was suspended and a ban on beef is still in effect.
New Zealand not only permits hunting, but sponsors a thriving hunting business for tourists based in its 14 national parks and 20 forest parks. It also has private hunting preserves that cater to tourists seeking so-called trophy kills. No effort has been made to impede killing of animals by bullets, which often causes great suffering].
Spengler is channeled by David P Goldman. Comment on this article in Spengler’s Expat Bar forum.
There are some Jews we don’t need or want. Levinson seems to be a prototype of many such (Jews?) Personally I prefer the Israeli left to those like levinson.
You see Israel as the country who freed Kuntar.
I see this Israel:
Operation Kassa Kebede May 24th-25th, 1991 – Operation “Solomon”
Operation “Solomon” May 24th-25th, 1991
Enjoy ! You deserve it!!!
Difficult ‘Deys’ Ahead for American Jews
by “Crypto-Zionist”
Are you intentionally obtuse or just plain stupid?
Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws
Mishne Torah, Sefer Shoftim, The Laws of Kings and Their Wars, Chapter 5, Halakha 12.
Just as it is forbidden to leave the Land for the Diaspora, so it is forbidden to leave Bavel for other lands, as it is written: They shall be brought to Bavel and there they shall be [until I take notice of them . . . and restore them to this place, i.e. the Land of Israel]. [Jeremiah 27:22]
So the divine plan for Jews is either to let us perish as a people, or to be left only in Israel. The messianic scenario involves substantially all Jews moving to the Land of Israel. The Bible recognizes King Cyrus a messiah even though most Jews refused to return to Israel; the messiah need not return everyone. There are two ways to assure that almost all Jews return: make everyone return, or make those who don’t return perish. Jews refused the first option, so we may be witnessing the second one unfolding.
“And they scorned the desirable land and believed not His word.” (Psalms 106)
Is not the point in Europe to ban halal slaughter, with no distinction made between the two religious practices, as Temple Grandin has made?
As far as I am concerned, Temple Grandin is the sole global voice on humane slaughter. First read about her in Oliver Sacks “Anthropologist from Mars” about the the concept of high-functioning autism.
Thanks Ted, saved me the time to find Spengler’s most current column. ATimes online is such a strange source. Spengler deserves to be more widely read.
Laws of Kashrut have nothing to do with health.
Rather than try to explain Judaism to You I will give you a hint. All the rest is commentary.
Maybe my friend is right. We should all become vegetarians.
What we’re seeing is an International dictate of social engineering and now the cross over into appeasement for Ob’s mates. Yes, Hallal slaughter has been pushed into NZ and Kosher killing banned. Shame on them! Plus many food products have the same seal of approval stamped on them. Give them time it will be circumcision next. Or lighting Shabbat candles. It’s sick!
Look at all the countries that have jumped on the bandwagon of Social Engineering…( including my own ) that now ‘sport’ same sex marriage, gay rights, abortion – sorta on demand, legal prostitution, non-smacking children, crude sex education in schools etc. If they haven’t got you yet…it’s coming.
But it’s becoming more obvious by the day that Messiah will be coming soon to take HIS throne in Jerusalem. Are you ready to welcome Him? Unfortunately it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Bend the knee and call out to G_d. Make sure ‘He knows you when He comes.’
Also Geert is a legend. He’s one of about five brave people that have spoken out Internationally on revealing the true motifs of Ob’s mates. He’s had to lay his life and his family on the line. May the Lord bless and protect him. And he stands with Israel. Hey, and so do I and I’m not Jewish. So what does that make me? I’m one of Israel’s true friends, unlike what some of you in ignorance delight in saying. G-d’s given Israel as a Nation fantastic abilities….but don’t get to confident in relying on them. Rely instead on your ONLY TRUE FRIEND and that’s the Lord…get to know Him. He’s found in the pages of the Bible and He’s only a prayer away!
After all that was said before and after the vote in de lower house in the Netherlands there is one thing more sickening than all the rest.
The Jews are invited to defend G’d and Judaism. They are invited like in the dark middle ages to explain. What explain? What defend? Explain how animals suffer least in kosher slaughter. Let’s listen to what the slaughtered cow has to tell us.
Explain, the Jew must explain what is clear to any medic. When the pressure in the brain is interrupted bu the cut with a super sharp knife there is immediate braindeath = death. So no suffering.
But the Jew must go on explaining. And he must DEFEND. What defend? G’ds Word. Holy scripture. How is G’ds Word better than the word of some Dutch parlementarian of this new party for animals. Animal Welfare it is called I think (in English).
The Jew is being charged with cruelty and he must defend himself. Up till than he is guilty. Let’s tell the truth. He will always be guilty. He is a Jew, is he not?
Well, dear friends, may I please call all the Jews in Holland to leave, LEAVE that country? Is it 1940 again? Till the real thing comes along this present one can fulfil the role I think.
There are lots of reason to specifically give Geert Wilders a lot more leeway. He has always been pro-Israel and stated so in every forum and language when the subject comes up.
Of courese he delivers what he is able to. Geert Wilders defends Israel in the Netherlands when nearly everyone else is calling Israel another South Africa. He is one of the few voices, willing to speak out against Islamofascism.
He does not need Jews to score political points. Jews are only about a few hundred thousand in The Netherlands. He does not gain anything. His support of Israel is a minority view, and he is one of the few voices that puts out the true picture of what Israel is facing. Those in Europe who are not aware need to hear him.
Remember what happened to selah choudry in Bangladesh, like Geert Wilders he was a minority supporter of Israel and he was arrested and suffered because of this. We cannot expect Geert to put The Netherlands before Israel, but he does influence people to support Israel, and makes them aware of the Islamofacist threat. He recently only narrowly escaped going to prison because he speaks out against islamofascists in Europe who are attacking Jews there.
Dutch Jews are moving to other European countries, not coming to Israel, those who emigrate that is.
#9
wilders does not care about the Jews, just as some serbian “friends” he only wants to instrumentalise Jewish support but wilders has nothing to deliver! just as the serbs have nothing to deliver!
Jews! Wake up and stop calling someone a friend who has nothing to deliver!
IF wilders WERE A REAL FRIEND OF THE JEWS HE WOULD HAVE THREATENED THE FALL OF THE MINORITY GOVERNMENT OF HALLAND ABOUT THIS ISSUE but of course the Jews are not wirth it in his eyes.
On the other hand — what is going on there has also a very positive aspect: maybe some more Jews will finally find there way to Israel.
Geert Wilders has Jewish ancestry.
He is a defender of Israel, and of Jews. Let’s not attack friends just because their fellow citizens are anti semites and want Judaism outlawed. They are godless. He is a vocal supporter of Jews. The animal rights campaigners banned unstunned slaughtering of animals in Switzerland and New Zealand too. The worrying part is that next they will be targeting circumcision.
1- If done properly there is no more humane method than the current methods of kosher slaughter.
2= The Europeans and Americans don’t care about humane slaughter they just want to stick it to the Jews.
READ IT! Levinson:
Maximizing Animal Welfare in Kosher Slaughter
Opinion
By Temple Grandin
Published April 27, 2011
Levinson sometimes no comment from you is preferable .
The World against the Jews! The conflict is between Jews and the world.
European powers evicted Jews from Europe, and allocated to us 0.01% of the Middle East. The Balfour Declaration gave Jews a fraction of what Jews and Christians know as the Promised Land. Afterwards, the British gave away 3/4 of the Jewish land in order to accommodate a friendly Iraqi prince left without a kingdom, and thus appeared Jordan. At the time, Jews numbered a hundred times the population of the Jordanian Bedouin, but the Bedouin got three times more land. Then came the 1947 partition between the Jews and those Arabs whom even Jordan refused to take in. The Jews accepted even that, but the Arabs refused and have fought Israel over six decades. The world still wants the partition to benefit the Arabs, instead of accepting that they lost the right to the partition they fought against. The partition of Israel wouldn’t merely give Palestinians a state, but a second state in addition to the one they already have in Jordan (ethnic Palestinian Arabs are a majority in Jordan). Besides that partition, the world demands that Israel accommodate two million Arab citizens and resident aliens in what is left of Israel.
The attacks worldwide in the west against mezuzahs in certain co-op apts in America, the increasing national and state laws banning kosher slaughter and circumcision are all frontal attacks against Judaism and Jews. Attacks against Israel and the attempts of delegitimation of Israel is indirectly an attack against Jews and Judaism. The attempts of cutting the biblical heartland from Israel and the Jews including the holy part of Jerusalem is an attack against Jews and Judaism. In America Jews are refused bail on the excuse that they are a flight risk to Israel as there is no extradition treaty between Israel and America. The false arrest and prosecution of AIPAC execs. Pollard!!! And hundreds of other examples that don’t get much attention or press.
The desecration of Synagogues and Jewish cemeteries throughout the Western World has drastically increased over the years. There are the incidents which grow more common on the campuses where students wearing Kippah, Magen David, or other symbols of the Jewish faith are viciously attacked by other students. The BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, the yearly spreading campus event known as Israel Apartheid Week, the now commonplace shouting down of Israeli speakers around the globe, the readiness of courts in numerous countries that swear out warrants for arrest on either war crime or crimes against humanity charges on Israeli government officials, military officers, and even, in a few cases thus far, enlisted soldiers that have prevented these people from international travel or ability to study in many universities for fear of incarceration (Tzipi Livni had to cancel an appearance in England due to such charges fairly recently) and other such problems one finds all too regularly.
I Agree with Fistel #4: “So-called “friends of the Jews” are fair weather friends at best. The idea that the “Republicans in Congress”, or the “american christian zionists” will save Jewish Israel when push comes to shove, is best regarded as wishful thinking.
We have been shown over and over that Jews, and Jewish Israel, can only depend on themselves. As it says in the good book, “Praise HaShem, and PASS THE AMMUNITION!”
Geert Wilders and other “friends of the Jews”:
Jews have always been wishful thinkers and hopeful romantics. They keep on thinking that some gentiles like them so much, that they will actually go out of their way to save the Jews from the bulk of the gentiles (“They like me. They really like me!”).
So what did we see 70 years ago in World War Two? The drumbeats of Jew-hatred kept getting louder and faster. And the Jews truly hoped that Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, or the pope, those “bastions of democracy and righteousness,” would save them.
And despite knowing how that turned out, it’s now deja vu all over. The drumbeats of Jew hatred are once again getting louder and faster. First, Jewish Israel is delegitimized, and now Judaism in general.
The bans on kosher slaughter and circumcision as primitive and inhumane, are as hypocritical as hitler’s call for extermination of the Jews as “subhuman”.
Geert Wilders in Holland is currently a “hero” of conservative Jews. He supports Jewish Israel against the muslims, but then turns around and votes for banning kosher slaughter in Holland.
So-called “friends of the Jews” are fair weather friends at best. The idea that the “Republicans in Congress”, or the “american christian zionists” will save Jewish Israel when push comes to shove, is best regarded as wishful thinking.
We have been shown over and over that Jews, and Jewish Israel, can only depend on themselves. As it says in the good book, “Praise HaShem, and PASS THE AMMUNITION!”
More proof that Europe is waging warfare on Judaism itself.
Slaughter by stunning means that animals are solely immobilised and then carved up alive. Brain dead people who later recovered tell us that they were able to hear and feel everything going on around them, while they were in coma. Stunning animals is a bad joke.
Kosher slaughter is the only humane killing, as the animals expire within a second and they feel nothing.
Europeans are hypocrits. Every day the pork industry industry has millions of pigs castrated without anaesthetics, because otherwise, with testosterone, the meat of males gets a bad odor. An injection with local anasthetics to have the procedure done without pain would cost 1 Euro, but that is considered too expensive.
But Jewish Shechita is considered barbarious.