Jewish organizations met this week to discuss taking political and legal action against proposed legislation to ban kosher slaughter in Holland.

Participants at the July 13 meeting called by the European Jewish Congress included Shechita UK, prominent members of the Dutch community and the European Conference of Rabbis, according to the EJC.

Among the steps they decided on were legal action; lobbying members of the Dutch Senate, which still must ratify the legislation before it becomes law; and seeking an independent renowned expert to assert that kosher slaughter is equally humane, if not more so, than most other means of slaughter.

Under a bill passed by the lower house of the Dutch Parliament at the end of June, animals are required to be stunned before slaughter. Both Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter is performed while the animal is fully conscious. The Dutch Senate is expected to take up the measure before the end of the year. — jta