Kosher slaughter of animals banned in Holland-Fiction!

Kosher Slaughter of Animals Banned in Holland-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor
What appears to be an article says that the government of Holland has banned Kosher slaughter.. According to the article, the government considered the kosher slaughter of cows "cruelty" to animals. A rabbi likened the action to the banning of kosher slaughter in Germany by Hitler as one of the first acts against the Jews.

The Truth
The government of the Netherlands says it has never banned ritual slaughter of animals. In a letter from the Office of the Agricultural Counselor of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC on December 5, 2002 to the Boycott Watch group, the government said that under law, animals have to be under anesthesia for slaughter. Exceptions are made for methods such as those used under Jewish or Moslem law. The letter says that there was a problem, however, with some older, heavier animals not dying immediately so the slaughter of older animals was temporarily suspended until a solution was worked out with Jewish leaders. Slaughter of younger animals was not affected.

Last updated 1/1/03

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Melchior also says the cruelty accusations against shechitah are simply untrue:
"The Torah forbids cruelty to animals, and the shechitah process ensures that
the animal loses consciousness immediately. We have been dealing with this
issue for many years, and there are many scientific studies that back us up."

M.E., a religious Jew from Holland, does not appear worried: "The main concern
is whether there is kosher meat in the store or not... Of course the principle
of the matter worries me. But I have heard on the inside that it was not done
as a matter of policy, but rather just a few individuals who were able to
convince the government to make this decision..."

Rabbi Melchior plans to organize a Foreign Ministry campaign to respond to the
European lies being disseminated about the so-called cruelty involved in
shechitah. He will also have to respond to such accusations here at home; MK
Avraham Poraz of the anti-religious Shinui party has congratulated Holland on
its decision, saying that shechitah is cruel. Melchior said, "It is certainly
infuriating to see a respected Knesset Member plays into the hands of Jewish
enemies and thus cause harm to the Jewish community in Europe. The lie that
ritual slaughter is cruel simply shows a hatred for Jewish life."