Sri Lanka Deports Five Rabbis and Shochtim, Sparking Outcry From Jewish Community
Sri Lankan immigration police raided a slaughterhouse, arresting and deporting five Jewish religious leaders for violating visa regulations, prompting accusations of targeted persecution from the local Jewish community. The incident raises fears of a broader campaign to restrict Jewish activities, with calls for international intervention to address the issue.
Sri Lankan immigration police conducted a raid this week on a slaughterhouse in Mirigama, arresting five shochtim (ritual slaughterers) and Rabbanim from Israel, Australia, and Italy who were performing shechita (kosher slaughter) for the local Jewish community. The authorities charged the religious leaders with violating immigration laws by engaging in work and religious activities while holding only visitor visas. Following their arrest, all five were promptly deported, leaving the small Jewish community of several hundred members in shock and fear.
Community sources described the raid as the result of a “malicious betrayal” by an individual who has consistently harassed the Jewish kehilla, leveraging government resources to target and restrict Jewish activities. They alleged that this incident is part of a broader campaign to suppress the community, including efforts to shut down a Jewish community center and exploit legal mechanisms to hinder the growth of Jewish life in Sri Lanka. The community expressed deep concern that the arrests set a “dangerous precedent” that could discourage Rabbanim, shochtim, and other Jewish leaders from visiting to support the kehilla.
In response, community officials have called for international Jewish organizations to intervene and urge the Sri Lankan government to halt what they describe as a “systematic policy of persecution.” The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, including recent security concerns involving Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, where authorities arrested three locals in October 2024 over suspected threats to tourist areas like Arugam Bay. The Jewish community fears that such actions could further isolate them and exacerbate challenges in maintaining religious practices, particularly kosher food production, in a country with a small but vibrant Jewish presence.