Not Only in New York: Israel Ambulatory Pediatric Association Trying to Stop Metzitzah B’peh

The Israel Ambulatory Pediatric Association (IAPA) has urged the Health Ministry to halt metzitzah b’peh at brisos in Eretz Yisroel.

The effort in Israel to stop the age-old minhag comes at the same time that the New York City Department of Health wants to amend the health law to require mohelim to obtain written consent from parents indicating they are fully aware of the supposed risks involved in bris milah and metzitzah b’peh.

Rabbi Chaim Moshe Weisberg, a mohel in Eretz Yisroel, told Yediot Achronot that Yidden will continue to uphold the minhag without any change.

Rabbi Weisberg rightfully identified the recent controversy as just an attempt to stop bris milah altogether.

“They’re not after the child’s best interest; they’re against bris milah,” Rabbi Weisberg said, adding that “They want all parents to stop circumcising their sons, as they did in Germany.”

Rabbi Weisberg is certain that the IAPA’s battle against metzitzah b’peh in Israel technique will not prevail. “The cases of reported diseases, allegedly originating from the custom are very few – and even then they can’t prove it was actually transferred from the mohel.”

According to Rabbi Moshe Morciano, head of the Circumcision Division of the Chief Rabbinate, “the Rabbinate instructs mohelim to consult the parents; those who are interested in the metzitzah b’peh should have it, and those who aren’t won’t.”

In 2006, the New York State Health Department suggested that parents sign a waiver if they want their newborn to undergo metzitzah b’peh. The suggestion followed cases of neonatal herpes that were “allegedly” – it has never been proven whatsoever – caused by  metzitzah b’peh.

{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}