In Austria, kosher meat is only reserved for registered Jews

Gottfried Waldhäusl, a member of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party (FPO), proposed this week to limit the sale of kosher meat in the country to only Jews whose names are on a special list.

Oskar Deutsch, the head of the Austrian Jewish community, explained that, as part of this initiative, the sale of kosher meat will be restricted only to those registered as Jewish who regularly observe Kashrut. In addition, the export of kosher-slaughtered meat will be completely banned.

The kosher restaurants and businesses in Vienna receive most of their kosher meat from the Lower Austria region, where the proposal was launched.

If the proposal is adopted, it would limit ritual slaughter for both Jews and Muslims, since both religions require that animals are slaughtered without prior anesthesia.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Government of Lower Austria, responsible for the welfare of animals, approved the proposal Tuesday, stressing however that it is only d & # 39; A project.

Waldhäusl, who heads the department, said that "to prevent animal cruelty, I support the restrictions on kosher slaughter in any legal way possible".

The initiative has triggered the uproar mainly since she proposes to have lists of Jews who keep kosher.

"Waldhäusl seriously suggests that Jews and Muslims who want to buy kosher meat will have to register," wrote former Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern on his Facebook page. "The proposed recording recalls one of the darkest chapters in our history."

Animals slaughtered without prior anesthesia as required by Halacha are prohibited in several European countries, including Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland.

Austria has strict control over the slaughter of animals, and slaughtering animals without prior anesthesia requires the presence of a veterinarian.

Similar initiatives seem to prevail in Europe. Formed by the FPO – a leading partner of the Austrian coalition since December 2017 – causes its critics to say the least, to say the least.

The far-right party, which won a quarter of the vote in the last election, was created in the 1950s by a former SS officer and became one of the largest parties in the country. 39, Austria in the 1990s.

"We are not sheep who accept everything," the head of the Jewish community of Austria broken down. "I spoke to the Prime Minister of Lower Austria, who promised me that the proposal would not be adopted, but Waldhäusl's remarks are an indication of the nature of the members of the Freedom Party and (i) that's the proof) we must be our guard. " 19659003]