The Upper House of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday rejected a vote on a bill against kosher slaughter that had Jewish and Muslim communities across Europe up in arms for the past year. The bill was finally rejected after a long debate with a vast majority of 51 members of parliament voting against it, and 21 voting in favor.

The bill was rejected due to a historical covenant signed a fortnight ago between the Jewish community and the Dutch government.

Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, a Dutch chief rabbi and prominent member of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, praised the rejection of the bill. "This is a day of true celebration for our community. But not just for us. We have managed to prevent the setting of a dangerous precedent that would have impacted all European Jews. Had the bill been passed, this would not have ended in Holland," he said.

About three years ago, the Dutch animal rights organization, The Party for the Animals, or PvdD, began advancing a bill that would negate the rights of Jews and Muslims in the country to slaughter animals without prior stunning. This amounts to a ban on shechita, as well as on halal ritual slaughter, both of which must be performed while the animal is fully conscious. That bill went through a rapid legislation process over the last year and was passed through the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament on June 28, 2011.

The bill was brought to the Upper House for a first reading on December 14. Thanks to the activities of the Jewish community in Holland, led by Secretary-General of the Organization of Jewish Communities in The Netherlands, Ruben Vis, together with Rabbi Jacobs, the bill was harshly criticized during the debate in the upper house for contradicting the constitutional right to freedom of religion and ritual observance of faith. The deciding vote was scheduled for Tuesday, which ended with a sweeping victory for the Jewish community.

Among other influencing factors, the rejection of the bill was made possible thanks to a covenant signed by the Jewish and Muslim communities in Holland, animal rights organizations, representatives of the slaughter houses and the Dutch government via its Agriculture Ministry. Under the covenant, the Jewish community committed to permitting only skilled slaughterers from carrying out the job, who must use a sharp and smooth knife and carry out the act in a way that minimizes the beast's experience of pain and fear, while acting in accordance with halakha (Jewish law). As for the animal rights groups, they committed to ending their war on kosher slaughter.

Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, vice president of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe also welcomed the victory. "For the past year we have worried how this bill would serve as a backwind for animal rights groups and other organizations to raise similar bills in additional countries. Burying the hopes of this bill is important for all European Jews," said Goldberg.