First: What crisis? Is the Department of Health really contemplating a ban on metzitza ba-peh? Or is this just alarmist behavior from the usual gang of anti-modern idiots?
Second: The sample letter mindless sheep are urged to send to the commissioner contains at least one bald lie (to go along with the vauge and muddled polemics:
These people hold themselves out as modern, “enlightened,” Orthodox Jews, but are – as you are certainly aware – actually in flagrant conflict with a very large segment of the religious Jewish population, whose rabbinical authorities have unequivocally stated that metzitza ba-peh is an indispensable requirement of the Biblically-mandated commandment to circumcise every Jewish male.I've said it before, I'll say it again: Most religious Jews do not agree "metzitza ba-peh is an indispensable requirement" of mila. Great Rabbis, including the Csam Sofer and Samsom Rephael Hirsch have ruled otherwise, and indeed the Yecki community gave up the practice more than 100 years ago.
note: I wouldn't want to see a ban on metzitza ba-peh, and I agree there seems to be no medical evidence that would support such a ban. Certainly, the Health Commissioner is intelligent enough to reach that conclusion on their own. My purpose with this post is to express unqualified disgust at the 'rabbis' who, with letters and rallies, are flaming this particular fire.
Update: If there is interest, I'll post the whole letter.
