The Green Party is consulting members on a policy that would outlaw religious circumcision for children, according to messages reported by The Spectator.
Under Jewish law, a baby boy must be circumcised on the eighth day of his life.
The party's Health Policy Working Group (HPWG) has launched a consultation asking members whether parents should only be allowed to consent “to an irreversible surgical procedure on a child if that procedure is medically necessary”.
Members have also been asked whether “non-therapeutic male circumcision should only be performed on children who are old enough to make an informed choice”.
If adopted nationwide, the proposals would prohibit religious circumcision for children, a practice that is integral to Judaism, Islam and other religions.
According to The Spectator’s Noa Hoffman, the consultation was publicised in a Greens for Palestine WhatsApp group.
A message posted on behalf of HPWG Consultation Officer Conall Monaghan said: “The Health Policy Working Group has a mandate to replace the entire health chapter of policies for a sustainable society with a new health policy focused on health equity and addressing the wider things that impact health, as well as the NHS.
"One of the central challenges we faced at conference last year was around this subject, so helping us to respond to this survey will be a huge help in ensuring the Green Party has an updated Health Policy from this Autumn.”
The message has alarmed Jewish leaders.
The director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council, Russell Langer, said: “Circumcision is a vital part of Jewish life and an essential link to our religion and heritage. This is also a practice shared with many of the Muslim faith.
“Any suggestion of a ban on circumcision will have a significant impact on our communities and the future of the UK as a tolerant society which respects freedom of religion and belief,” Langer added.
It comes as reports in January suggested that the Crown Prosecution Service had a draft document that indicated circumcision could amount to “child abuse” if carried out improperly.
At the time, Jonathan Arkush, co-chair of Milah UK, said he was “confident” that the importance of circumcision to the Jewish community is “respected and understood by the UK government, and we will ensure any public guidance that is to be considered respects Jewish practice.”
Green insiders have told the JC that any policy outlawing circumcision is highly unlikely to appear in the party's manifesto.
The issue has previously sparked debate within the party.
At the Green Party conference last year, a fringe event on “medically unnecessary penile circumcision in children” was cancelled.
And the consultation on circumcision comes as the controversial “Zionism is racism” motion, which was debated at the Green Party conference in March, is also set to return at the party's autumn conference.
That motion was backed by the party's pro-Palestine activists on WhatsApp.
A Green Party spokesperson said of the circumcision consultation: "Our Policy Working Groups are made up of members who work autonomously on policy exploration and formation projects. This is not party policy. The only way for anything to become party policy is through a vote at conference."
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