The Washington Post’s “On Faith” panel was asked to comment on the San Francisco Department of Election’s decision to validate an anti-circumcision initiative that will allow voters to decide whether circumcision should be permitted by law. Here in Nathan Diament’s post:For millennia, persecutors of the Jews sought, among other things, to ban our ritual practices. Whether it was Sabbath observance, keeping Kosher, studying Torah or, yes, Brit Milah – circumcision – this is a sadly familiar tale.

While some may have tried to camouflage their anti-Semitic intentions, their true purposes ultimately came to light. And that is the case again today in, of all places, San Francisco, California, USA. They can assert they seek to protect “human rights” – they have been shown, by their own actions, to be nothing more than following the path of anti-Semites before them.

As noted above, circumcision is known in Hebrew as “Brit Milah” – the “covenant of circumcision.” It is a fundamental component of Jewish identity and practice that dates to Abraham in Genesis and has remained a touchstone of our faith – even among those who do not observe the full array of Jewish ritual. It is thus a frontal assault on the Jewish faith’s adherents.

The effort to ban circumcision – now blatantly seen as an anti-Semitic move – is indeed a violation of the Constitutionally guaranteed free exercise of religion.

All people of good will should oppose it and the voters of San Francisco should resoundingly defeat it.

Posted by IPA Staff