Germany seeks compromise on circumcision

Israel's chief Ashkenazi rabbi is helping Germany hammer out legal protection for Jews who circumcise infant boys, German officials said. The rabbi has been meeting with officials for the past two days about a Cologne court's ruling, which also concerns Muslims, that circumcision inflicts bodily harm on boys too young to consent, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The court's June 26 decision sparked a wave of international criticism that the ruling represents an infringement on religious freedom and creates legal confusion. Israeli Rabbi Yona Metzger said he is confident a compromise can be found on the issue. He said he proposed compromises that would allow doctors to perform the procedure in the presence of a Jew trained in circumcision or permit the use of anesthesia during the religious ritual. A spokesman for the German Justice Ministry confirmed they are working on draft legislation. On Thursday Germany's Ethics Council is scheduled to hold a public discussion on the matter. Muslim boys usually are circumcised at the ages of 7 or 13, although some cultures perform the procedure in infancy.