TL;DR – Diplomatic row erupts after US ambassador challenges Belgian investigation
• Belgium summoned US Ambassador Bill White after he criticised a local circumcision investigation as antisemitic.
• Belgian officials accused White of overstepping diplomatic boundaries and interfering in domestic legal matters.
• Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the ambassador’s remarks “dangerous disinformation.”
• Authorities stressed that circumcision remains legal in Belgium when performed under proper medical supervision.
• The dispute highlights growing tensions over sovereignty, religious rights and diplomatic protocol.
Belgium summons US ambassador over circumcision row
Belgium has formally reprimanded the United States ambassador after he publicly criticised an investigation into unauthorised circumcisions, describing the probe as antisemitic.
Ambassador Bill White was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday following comments posted on X in which he declared that “antisemitism is unacceptable in any form and it must be rooted out of our society.”
Belgian officials responded sharply. A government spokesperson said the ambassador’s remarks misrepresented Belgian law and interfered with domestic judicial proceedings.
What triggered the dispute?
The controversy centres on an investigation into three men accused of performing circumcisions without proper medical certification.
Belgium permits circumcision when conducted under regulated medical conditions. Officials confirmed that more than 25,000 safe procedures were carried out legally last year.
Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot described the ambassador’s intervention as “wrong” and warned it risked undermining genuine efforts to combat hatred.
Vienna Convention reminder
After a 25-minute meeting, Belgium’s foreign ministry issued a pointed statement referencing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations — a clear signal that ambassadors must not interfere in a host country’s internal affairs.
While Prévot was abroad during the meeting, Secretary General Theodora Gentzis represented Belgium.
Officials reiterated that Belgium “unequivocally condemns all forms of antisemitism and racism,” rejecting any suggestion to the contrary.