As tensions between the State of Israel and the Orthodox Jewish community over new draft policy reach a climax, European Jewry is reacting: a massive demonstration in Brussels at the Headquarters of the European Commission at 9A Place Schuman, 3:00 PM, to be attended by over 1,000 rabbinical leaders and delegates from the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and other European countries, will call for universal recognition and support for the oppressed Orthodox minority in Israel.

During the demonstration, a delegation of rabbis will meet with Leonello Gabrici, representative of Catherine Ashton, the High Representative Vice President of the European Commission.

“The Orthodox Jewish community lived peacefully in the Holy Land under numerous regimes for centuries prior to the establishment of the State of Israel,” said Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, one of the prospective speakers at the demonstration. “They are a separatist community, always avoiding the draft and not recognizing the government of Israel as their representatives. They are not a party to the conflicts between the state and its neighbors, which the Zionists brought upon themselves - they simply want to continue living in peace as G-d’s people.”

The Zionist movement set out to dominate and eradicate religious observance and recast the Jewish people in a new, nationalistic mold. They say they need the Orthodox to share the burden, but that is only to camouflage their true goal: to integrate the Orthodox into their secular society. Israeli leaders see the army as the ideal environment where they can efficiently carry out mass transformation of the Orthodox community, and therefore they now want to force them to join the army even at the cost of jeopardizing its own capabilities. After all, the army has always been the state’s melting pot, where Jews from traditional communities all over the world were transformed into secular Israelis.

Orthodox rabbinic leaders in the Holy Land have stated clearly that complying with this new draft is a violation of the Jewish religion and their community will resist this decree by all means necessary. Their young men will go to prison rather than join the army.

The Israeli state is now using unprecedented tactics of intimidation to transform the Jewish religion; its hatred towards religious observance knows no boundaries and has grown to a degree never seen before.

In Jerusalem and New York, massive demonstrations were held in the past weeks, attended by tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews, to cry out against the decree.

Next week's European demonstration is being held in front of the EU offices in Brussels in order to appeal to the European Commission to provide international protection to those of the Orthodox community who flee the State of Israel and to ensure that all its member states recognize them as refugees and asylum seekers.

It is anticipated that the leaders of the European nations will bring pressure to bear on the State of Israel to change this plan, and allow the religious Jews in the Holy Land to continue living and practicing their faith in peace.

European Jewry hopes and prays that the EU will act in accordance with its charter: "The European Union sees human rights as universal and indivisible. It actively promotes and defends them both within its borders and when engaging in relations with non-EU countries."

The following rabbis in the UK have signed the announcement of this demonstration:

Rabbi Avraham Yosef Rubinfeld, Kehal Chareidim
Rabbi Avraham Mondrer, Kossov
Rabbi Aharon Dovid Dunner, member of the London Beis Din
Rabbi Uriah Ashkenazi, Stanislaw
Rabbi Alter Elimelech Schwartz, Tchoba
Rabbi Eliezer Schlessinger, Kollel Yeshivas Haramah
Rabbi Eliezer Dovid Friedman, Belz
Rabbi Eliezer Yom Tov Lipa Braun, Nitra
Rabbi Eliezer Mordechai Stolzberg, Satmar
Rabbi Elyakim Schlessinger, Yeshivas Haramah
Rabbi Ephraim Landau, Beis Din of London
Rabbi Aryeh Weiss, Vizhnitz
Rabbi Asher Anshel Jungreis, Tiferes Amram
Rabbi Ben Zion Blum, Bobov
Rabbi Boruch Chuna Greenfeld, Bobov of Clapton
Rabbi Boruch Leib Rabinowitz, Biala
Rabbi Dovid Hager, Vizhnitz
Rabbi Zev Halevi Feldman, Etz Chaim
Rabbi Chaim Pinter, Bikovsk
Rabbi Yosef Padwa, Cheishev Haefod
Rabbi Yosef Binyamin Halevi Wosner, Satmar
Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Weiss, Belz
Rabbi Yechiel Yechezkel Inzlicht, Beirach Moshe
Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Priezel, Skver
Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Domb, Tehilos Yoel
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Rosenbaum, Gur
Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman, Beis Din of London
Rabbi Yitzchok Eizik Rosenbaum, Stroznitz
Rabbi Yishaya Yechiel Schlessinger, Shaarei Tefillah
Rabbi Meir Markowitz, Satmar
Rabbi Mendel Kahana, Spinka
Rabbi Mordechai Weinberg, Slonim
Rabbi Mordechai Leifer, Nadborna
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padwa, Av Beis Din of London
Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok Lunzer, Satmar
Rabbi Moshe Pollack, Satmar
Rabbi Naftoli Elimelech Dovid Leizer, Pshevorsk
Rabbi Naftoili Pinchos Englander, Beis Din of London
Rabbi Sinai Deutsch, Shatz
Rabbi Ezriel Schechter, Kehillah of London
Rabbi Tzvi Nechemiah Halevi Schneck, Satmar
Rabbi Shulem Weiss, Minchas Yitzchok
Rabbi Shulem Friedman, Beis Din of London
Rabbi Shmuel Binyamin Krauss, Beis Shlomo Aryeh
Rabbi Shmaya Lev, Satmar

Click here to read the original announcement.

The following rabbis of Antwerp, Belgium have added their signatures:

Rabbi Yehuda Moskowitz, Shatz
Rabbi Boruch Kahana, Spinka
Rabbi Chaim Yosef Dovid Weiss, Satmar
Rabbi Chaim Eliyahu Greenfeld, Skver
Rabbi Chananya Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum, Satmar
Rabbi Yehuda Leifer, Premishlan
Rabbi Yissachar Ber Kohn, Satmar
Rabbi Meir Weinberger, Satmar
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lemberger, Satmar
Rabbi Mordechai Greenfeld, Vizhnitz
Rabbi Mordechai Halevi Gross, Belz
Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, Bobov
Rabbi Moshe Ahron Reich, Beis Moshe V'aharon
Rabbi Shmuel Luria, Vizhnitz
Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Yechezkel Paneth, Deesh
Rabbi Shimon Avraham Greenfeld, Khal Chassidim

Rabbi Alexander Asher Margolios, Ohel Moshe, Vienna