Israeli mother ordered to pay fine of Sh12, 000 a day for refusing to circumcise her son

A religious court has ordered an Israeli woman to circumcise her son against her will - or pay a fine of $140 a day.

The woman refused to let her son be circumcised under Jewish law because she said it would 'mutilate' him.

But her husband, with whom she is reportedly getting divorced, demanded that the ritual take place, The Times of Israel reported.

Jewish ritual circumcisions usually take place in a synagogue eight days after the baby boy's birth.

Named Brit Milah in Hebrew, the ceremony by a specialist rabbi called a mohel is a key part of the Jewish faith and is followed by a celebration dinner.

But the unnamed Jerusalem woman told Israeli media: 'I’ve been exposed to a lot of material regarding circumcision and I have decided not to circumcise my son.

'I have no right to cut his organ and mutilate him. And the court has no right to force me to do so.'

By last night the fine had reportedly already accumulated for five days, reaching $700.

The decision to force the woman to have her son circumcised was taken previously by a Rabbinical court, which upholds Jewish law, in her home town of Netanya.

The woman appealed to a larger Rabbinical court in Jerusalem but the decision was upheld.

This week's decision over the woman's son, who is now a year old, has been described as unprecedented.

It is thought the woman will now appeal to Israel's secular Supreme Court.

Last month the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe sparked anger in the Jewish and Muslim communities when it passed a resolution condemning religious circumcisions, questioning if they were against boys' human rights.

The resolution called on all states to 'clearly define the medical, sanitary and other conditions to be ensured for practices such as the non-medically justified circumcision of young boys'.

It also covered female genital mutilation, a practice which has been widely condemned including by British home secretary Theresa May and is illegal in the UK.

The judges wanted to stand up to legal fights against circumcision in the United States and Europe, according to Israeli news programme Haaretz.

They added: 'The public in Israel stands united against this phenomenon, seeing it as another aspect of the anti-Semitic acts that must be fought.'