Published: August 13, 2022
Updated: March 3, 2024
Opposition to circumcision isn't inherently antisemitic. It's just that so many intactivists oppose circumcision because they hate Jews.
The Facebook page Antisemitism in Intactivism is doing a fine job of documenting the virulent hatred of Jews that daily permeates the intactivist presence on social media. Antisemitism isn’t limited to rank-and-file members, however. Sadly, this centuries-old bigotry has infected the highest levels of intactivist leadership.
Today we'll examine the actions of four prominent individuals in the intactivist movement. They include the director of the largest anti-circumcision organization in the USA, the most active intactivist doctor in Europe, the founder of an intactivist protest group, and the producer of a 2017 anti-circumcision documentary. We'll see how other prominent intactivists are reacting and responding to the undeniable bigotry within the movement.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” The U.S. State Departments provides contemporary examples, including:
Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective - such as … the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany … during World War II (the Holocaust)
Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize [Jews or] Israelis
Drawing comparisons of contemporary [Jewish or] Israeli policies to that of the Nazis [1]
Georganne Chapin - Intact America
The executive director of Intact America may be the single most powerful circumcision opponent in the United States. Georganne Chapin controls million of dollars in financial resources, [2] and she is a leading spokeswoman of the intactivist movement. She writes opinion columns and appears on broadcast, cable, and online media channels to discuss her views on circumcision.
Christian and Muslim religious and political leaders have allied with Jewish leaders to champion laws and policies that protect circumcision in both the United States and Europe. [3] Yet Chapin has targeted Jews - and only Jews - for her bitterness. During an interview with a white supremacist podcaster, she blamed "the Jewish lobbyists” and “the organized [Jewish] religion" - for routine hospital circumcisions that may be requested by parents of all backgrounds. [4] She has singled out "the Jewish lobby" for obstructing legislation that would criminalize circumcision. [5]
In 2012 the Bay Area Intactivists group posted a quote, from a satirical Gore Vidal novel, that accused Jewish doctors of sadistically enjoying the opportunity to "mutilate" non-Jewish babies. Chapin eagerly shared the post on her page and suggested that intactivists print the statement on cards and posters. [6]
During a speech at a 2014 anti-circumcision conference, she denied that an infamous comic book villain (discussed below) was problematic, much less antisemitic. She cautioned that attendees should not be concerned about antisemitism within the movement. She asked them to focus on what she called the real enemy: doctors, nurses, mohels, and even parents. [7]
The next year Chapin penned an op-ed for a Florida newspaper in which she compared circumcision to the horrific experiments that Nazi doctors inflicted on concentration camp prisoners during World War II. [8][9] A letter-writer responded that her analogy of Jewish mohels to Nazi doctors is "a particularly horrible comparison to the thousands of Jewish survivors who willingly and joyfully had their infant sons circumcised after being freed." [10] Comparing Jewish rituals to Nazi atrocities is “like disagreeing with someone eating meat, and knowing they are a rape victim, choosing to make your point by comparing eating meat with rape and saying that someone who had been raped should know better. It’s not just a bad analogy, it’s applying a different standard to someone because they are a victim, making them a victim a second time." [11]
Kenneth Hopkins - Blood Stained Men
The leader of the Blood Stained Men protest group is Kenneth Hopkins - a 74 year-old California man who calls himself "Brother K." Over the past nine years Hopkins has led more than 450 protests, including 95 in the past year, throughout the contiguous United States. He aggressively taunts physicians and nurses outside medical conferences.
Hopkins has complained for years about Jewish participation on the 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics circumcision task force. He has repeatedly posted a photo of the task force chair, Dr. Susan Blank, with a quote from a 1998 New York Times wedding announcement stating that a rabbi was officiating her wedding. The clear implication is that she is Jewish, and thus her religious identity disqualifies her from serving on the circumcision task force. [12] He also accused task force member Dr. Andrew Freedman of a religious conflict of interest. [13]
In 2013 intactivist Michael Dulin blamed the Jewish people for antisemitism. He wrote, "I am convinced that, psychologically, antisemitism exists because of the practice of circumcision... Any culture that engages in such a harsh and aggressive act against it's [sic] very own male infants and children makes that culture appear as threatening to the fundamental survival of our species and therefor [sic] a [threat] in general, to society." Dulin dismissed antisemitism and the Holocaust as nothing more than "catch phrases" to distract intactivists. Kenneth Hopkins reacted approvingly to Dulin's message. [14]
Nathan Zunker, an associate producer of American Circumcision, is a frequent protester for the Blood Stained Men. Under the pseudonym Luke Artanis, Zunker has emphatically denied that the Nazis used gas chambers and other methods to murder 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. [15] He has spread malicious falsehoods about Jewish law and the Talmud, the primary body of Jewish legal commentary. [16] Steven Barendregt wrote that "Islam is an inherently violent religion. Just like judaism." [sic] During the early lethal phase of the Covid-19 pandemic (before vaccines and effective treatments were available,) Barendregt sent a fake CDC/WHO health advisory with the title, What to do if you get Covid-19. The meme encouraged those infected to "visit your local mosque" and "synagogue" - presumably to spread the lethal virus to people who practice or support circumcision. [17] Barendregt has expressed racist thoughts, calling a Black man a "N----r" and a "F--king n----r" several times in a private message. [18]
Protester Carl Silverman has spread the classic antisemitic tropes that Jews control the media and "think they are better and smarter and more important than everyone else." Silverman said that Jews "deserve to be hated" based on circumcision and the kosher method of animal slaughter.[19] Daniel Bryce has stated that "the hallmark of Judaism is hatred and destruction of others." [20] Bryce agreed with a caption on a photo of Orthodox Jews that read, "These psychopaths need to be holocausted because they are EVIL beyond words." [21] Parrish King, a candidate for the Jacksonville, Florida city council, has posted antisemitic falsehoods about Jews and the Talmud. King spread a quote invented by a Palestinian terrorist organization claiming that the Jews control America - a quote falsely attributed to an Israeli prime minister. [23][24][24A] Kenneth Hopkins has welcomed Artanis, Barendregt, Silverman, Bryce, and King on his protest tours. [19][22][23][25]
Morten Frisch - Statens Serum Institut
You're unlikely to find a European doctor who lobbies more aggressively for banning circumcision than Morten Frisch, an epidemiologist at a research institute in Copenhagen. Frisch is the lead author of a 2013 response, by 37 mostly European doctors, to the AAP’s circumcision policy statement. [26][27] He has conducted several studies, the results of which always happen to support his anti-circumcision agenda. Frisch vehemently objects to being labeled an antisemite.
Nevertheless, a Danish blogger reported that Frisch “routinely describes Jews and Muslims in scornful and demeaning terms" on his Facebook page, and he "frequently allows others to post outright anti-Semitic and islamophobic comments.” [28] A letter from 62 concerned Danish citizens to various government and private medical agencies documented dozens of Frisch's troubling statements. For example, "Specifically, he has described named individuals as ... 'a Jewish epidemiologist,' 'a Danish-Jewish medical doctor,' ... 'a Jewish researcher,' and 'a biochemist who is married to a Jew'." The letter included incriminating screenshots and links. [29]
In 2016 Frisch castigated a Danish journalist, accusing the man of "abus[ing] his Jewish pedigree to cover up the brutality he himself inflicted on his non-Jewish child." [30] In an article critical of a pro circumcision medical group, Frisch ethnically profiled members whom he believed had connections to Jewish or Muslim communities. [31] He sought to discredit their research or opinions based solely on their religious affiliations.
Later that year he called on research journals that publish circumcision-related articles to include the religion of Jewish authors on the pretext that such authors automatically have a religious conflict of interest. [32][33] However - as the 62 Danish citizens observed - when Frisch submits research papers for publication, he never declares his own clear conflict of interest, namely his extensive campaign to criminalize circumcision of boys in Denmark. [34-39] A researcher with several published circumcision related studies and who identifies as atheist rejected Frisch’s assertion that an author’s religion bears any relevance to the reliability of his research. [40]
In 2014 Frisch declared that - 70 years after the Holocaust - antisemitism was no longer a concern in his country. [41] In reality, Jews have been the victims of violent, sometimes deadly attacks. The danger is so prevalent that religious and government authorities have warned Danish Jews and Israeli tourists not to wear Jewish attire or symbols and avoid speaking Hebrew loudly in public. [42-51] Paradoxically, Frisch later claimed that he does fear antisemitism, which he blamed on the Jewish people. [52]
Brendon Marotta - American Circumcision
Brendon Marotta is best known for producing American Circumcision, a 101-minute anti-circumcision documentary. The movie was featured at several film festivals around the United States in 2017 and 2018, winning two awards. In the past few years Marotta has self-published two books and written several blog posts.
In two recent posts Marotta focused on the Jews. The first post, A Jewish Guide To Talking To Circumcision Survivors, [53] was addressed in a previous Circumcision Choice article. Briefly, Marotta referred to Jews as "oppressors" and compared Jews to racists who assault Blacks and police who commit violent misconduct. He made the absurd accusation that Jews incite violence against circumcision opponents, when in fact it is intactivists who use incendiary terms to demonize Jews. He claimed that Jews commonly use racial slurs, his evidence consisting of a single (false) accusation against Circumcision Choice. He badgered a doctor who ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate, repeatedly identifying her as Jewish on his blog, and he falsely accused her of telling him to commit suicide. He preemptively accused anyone who might disagree with him of "Jewish fragility." [54]
In the second post, The Abuse of Jewish Fragility, Marotta repeatedly called Jews “abusers" and intactivists "victims." Employing another classic antisemitic trope, he claimed that Jewish organizations have "systemic power with the ability to deplatform people from social media, put them on law enforcement watch-lists, or remove them from banking systems.” [55]
In his book Children's Justice, Marotta referred to the well-known biblical eye for eye principle of reciprocal justice [56] as "Jewish justice." He wrote, “The reciprocal Jewish justice of ‘eye for eye’ applied to this issue would mean holding down perpetrators of systemic pedophilia and cutting off part of their genitals without anesthesia." After dismissing his fantasy because "it would create more harm in the name of punishing harm," he advised that Jews should strive to become "less Jewish." He equated Jewishness with pedophilia and declared, "To become less Jewish is to become less pedophile... Only once freed from the social construction of Jewishness will people be free from systemic pedophilia.” [57]
Marotta holds particular animosity toward the Anti Defamation League ever since the Jewish civil rights organization led a successful 2011 campaign to defeat a San Francisco ballot measure. [57A] (See below.) The ADL was founded following the 1913 death sentence imposed on Leo Frank, a Jewish factory director who was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a 13 year-old girl. In 1915 Frank's death sentence would be commuted to life in prison. However several weeks later a rabid antisemitic mob broke into the jail and lynched Frank by hanging him. In 2021 Marotta, referring to Frank, wrote, "The ADL was founded to defend racist pedophiles." [57B]
See update below.
Responses from other prominent intactivists
For many years the reaction of the intactivist community to its boiling cauldron of antisemitism was a collective shrug. Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon has been involved with the movement since 2006. He produced an anti-circumcision documentary - Cut: Slicing through the myths of circumcision - a decade before Marotta’s film. Ungar-Sargon recently wrote about the growing radicalization. “Over the course of my involvement with the Intactivist movement… I have watched the problem of bigotry go from something one might see occasionally, on the fringes, to taking center stage on platforms viewed by hundreds of thousands.” [57]
A 2011 ballot measure would have prohibited circumcision of minor boys in San Francisco. Five months before the election the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Matthew Hess, author of the measure, had created the Foreskin Man comic book with Monster Mohel, a grotesque caricature reminiscent of Nazi propaganda. While this revelation disturbed some circumcision opponents, Lloyd Schofield - the ballot measure sponsor - defended the comic book. Schofield also maintained a link to the comic book on his website promoting the measure. [58]
When the Monster Mohel controversy broke, Ungar-Sargon emailed Hess, offering him the opportunity to respond to the antisemitism accusations. [59] The filmmaker reported, "When I asked whether it was a coincidence that the hero of his comic had blonde hair and blue eyes and the villains had darker complexions, [Hess] wrote: 'Foreskin Man’s blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin reflects my own German heritage. I see absolutely no reason to be ashamed of that.' This answer pushed me to admit that there was probably something going on here beyond a simple misunderstanding. Many Germans don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes and the connection of these features to 'German heritage' has clear racist undertones." [56]
Three years later Hess was invited to give a presentation at the 2014 Genital Autonomy Symposium. This was the conference where Georganne Chapin complained about "an over-concern about anti-Semitism" and declared that intactivist leaders "must be willing to embrace or at least tolerate language, viewpoints, and tactics" that are offensive. [7] Ungar-Sargon was troubled both by Chapin's lack of concern for antisemitism and by the invitation for Hess to speak "despite the strong objections of some Jewish intactivists." [57]
In 2018 Harvard employee Eric Clopper performed Sex and Circumcision in a university auditorium. The 2 1/2 hour obscene rant was virulently anti-Jewish. For example: Clopper called Jews a "genital mutilation cult" with a "shared delusion of superiority." He labeled the Jewish circumcision ritual as "satanic," mohels as "rapists" and "savages," and Judaism as an "unspeakable evil" that "fool[s] an entire nation." He attributed every circumcision in the United States to "the demonstrably evil influence Judaism has on this country." Clopper expressed his desire to rape and humiliate a certain Jewish member of the AAP task force. During a 4-minute closing scene, a fully nude Clopper simulated sexual intercourse with a blow-up sex doll. Ungar-Sargon published a blog post critical of Clopper [60] and uploaded a video about antisemitism in general. [61] “The response to these efforts was a short-lived harassment campaign that included antisemitic attacks against me in the comments section of the video." [57]
Brendon Marotta’s descent may have been the final straw that forced individual and collective responses. Two intactivists, one Jewish - one Gentile, posted condemnations of Jewish Fragility. David Balashinsky expressed his disappointment "to see an ally and an intactivist go over to the dark side, promote antisemitic stereotypes ... and undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the genital-autonomy movement." [62] Ryan McAllister wrote that Marotta "has gone to quite an extreme. He has called Jewish identity inherently pedophilic repeatedly in his writings. This is deeply antisemitic..." McAllister observed, "Every use of an antisemitic trope erodes the validity of our message, and also plays into a long history of marginalization and violence against Jewish people." [63]
Balashinsky and McAllister joined Ungar-Sargon and three others to develop a statement condemning antisemitism. On April 8, 2022 they published the Statement Opposing Antisemitism Within the Genital Autonomy Movement. Ten organizations and 42 individuals have endorsed the statement. [64]
Then in July Intact America published a blog post by Georganne Chapin that represents a dramatic turnaround from her 2014 speech. Chapin now declares, “it is … our duty to refute expressions of bigotry when expressed by people outside or within the intactivist movement.” A new Intact America position statement incorporates opposition to religious hostility: “Intact America rejects all forms of … religious stereotypes and bigotry. We condemn any form of hate speech based on … religion, or irreligion. The incorporation of anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim expressions into criticism of … circumcision only serves to undermine our movement and potentially derail our work...” [65]
According to an intactivist blog, Eric Clopper was planning to perform his antisemitic presentation during a 2022 conference hosted by Intact America. However Ungar-Sargon successfully pressured organizers to ban the performance. Nevertheless "conference attendees observed Ungar-Sargon and Clopper speaking with each other at the event." [66]
Conclusion
The commitments by Intact America and the Statement Opposing Antisemitism coalition are promising developments. Still, there are issues that remain unsettled and questions that need to be answered.
The malicious quote about Jewish doctors that Georganne Chapin embraced exactly ten years ago remains on her Facebook page today. Will Chapin remove the post? Will she apologize for spreading antisemitism? Does she regret the statements she made during the previous decade - documented in this article - that would violate Intact America’s new position statement?
Kenneth Hopkins (a.k.a. “Brother K”) is one of the signatories to the Statement Opposing Antisemitism. Will he apologize to the Jewish AAP task force members whom he stigmatized for their religion? Does he accept that Jews have as much right as anyone to express a personal view or analyze scientific evidence? Will he stop protesting alongside those who deny the Holocaust and express hatred of Jews and Muslims? If he doesn’t take these steps, will the coalition strike “Brother K” from its list of signatories?
An added twist is that neither faction - neither Brendon Marotta and his ilk nor Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon and his coalition - controls the direction of the intactivist movement. The coalition cannot prevent the bigots from taking actions that may reflect on the entire movement. They can only condemn and disavow such acts.
When the next Eric Clopper or Brendon Marotta speaks or acts in a hateful manner toward individual Jews or the Jewish people, the responses from these 6 authors, 11 organizations, and 42 signatories will be instructive. How many of them will respond, and how many will remain silent? Circumcision Choice will observe and report back to our readers.
Update - June 4, 2023
Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon and Eric Clopper met at an anti-circumcision conference in Atlanta in August 2022 and in Los Angeles in June 2023 to sort out their differences. Clopper conceded, "Not all of my comments in [the play] were politically tactful or helpful... I was angry, and that can manifest itself in comments that are actually detrimental to our shared goal of protecting children from genital mutilation." [67]
Update - June 16, 2023
Reacting to a podcast episode that was critical of him, Brendon Marotta defended his attacks on Jews and Judaism on June 13, 2023. Marotta argued that he was simply applying concepts from Critical Race Theory (CRT) to circumcision. He argued that if one accepts the premise that CRT is not anti-White and if CRT principles ("whiteness", "white fragility") should not be offensive to White people, then applying CRT principles to Jewish identity should not be offensive to Jews and should not be regarded as antisemitic. [68] An editorial assistant for the podcast show responded to Marotta. Trace Woodgrains explained that progressives - who endorse CRT - would regard Marotta's statements as a misuse of CRT concepts. They would be offended that Marotta applied labels intended for an oppressor group onto the Jewish people, a group that is both historically and currently oppressed. On the other side, conservatives - who reject CRT - would regard principles of "whiteness" and "white fragility" as racist and offensive. They would see Marotta's use of those principles as offensive and hateful. Woodgrains concluded that it is correct to call Marotta's statements "examples of antisemitism within the intactivist movement." [69]
Related
[1] Defining Antisemitism”; “U.S. Department of State; May 26, 2016
[2] Group Profile: Intact America”; The Intactivist Circle. “Over $3.6 million has been donated to, and spent by, Intact America since its founding in 2008.” This figure only covers donations through 2018 and may not include Texas businessman Dean Pisani‘s $1 million founding grant.
[3] A coalition of religious groups opposing the 2011 San Francisco ballot measure included the Catholic Archdiocese, San Francisco Interfaith Council, National Association of Evangelicals (representing 45,000 churches), and several Muslim groups. Political leaders included Mayor Gavin Newsom and City Attorney Dennis Herrera (both Catholic) and several others. A judge struck the measure from the ballot because it conflicted with state law. Within a few months a bill sponsored by assembly members Mike Gatto (Catholic) and Fiona Ma (Presbyterian) to clarify the state’s exclusive authority to regulate circumcision passed both houses of the California legislature by unanimous vote and was signed by Governor Jerry Brown (Catholic.) A 2012 German regional court ruling prohibiting circumcision of minors was denounced by the Roman Catholic Archbishop, the German Evangelical Church, and the Central Council of Muslims. The German legislature swiftly overturned the ruling.
[4] Georganne Chapin; True News; Freedomain Radio; April 5, 2017. (1:15-2:44) "[Circumcision is] embedded in every aspect of American culture... and obviously including very strong political pushback from religious groups, from the Jewish lobbyists… The organized [Jewish] religion, which fears, I believe, that if medicalized circumcision goes away, if doctors stop circumcising, then all eyes will really be on ritual circumcision, and it won’t stand up to any test.” Freedomain Radio founder Stefan Molyneux has since been permanently banned from YouTube, Twitter, and PayPal for promoting racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and white supremacy conspiracy theories.
[5] Georganne Chapin; radio interview; Moncrief on NewsTalk 106-108fm; Dublin, Ireland; August 4, 2017. (13:58-14:08) “I think that legislation is a very remote possibility. There’s a lot of opposition to that, primarily from the Jewish lobby and the religious lobby.”
[6] Georganne Chapin; Facebook post; August 13, 2012
[7] Georganne Chapin; “Whose Political Correctness? Changing Language, Viewpoints and Tactics in Today’s Intactivist Movement"; 13th International Symposium on Genital Autonomy and Children’s Rights; Boulder, Colorado; July 25, 2014
[8] Georganne Chapin; "Routine circumcision: A human rights issue whose time has come"; South Florida Sun-Sentinel; March 28, 2015
[9] Dr. John Rhinehart offered a similar obscene analogy involving prisoners of Nazi concentration camps. The psychologist compared a parent's circumcision decision to Nazi officials choosing which prisoners would live and which would die. John Rhinehart; "Neonatal Circumcision Reconsidered"; Transactional Analysis Journal; July, 1999. "The decision to circumcise is made by others as if [the infant] were an object and his experience did not exist or matter. This is perhaps not much different than decisions made about the fate of concentration camp internees by camp commanders; they too had their rationalizations."
[10] Michael Poretsky; "No clear winner in circumcision debate"; South Florida Sun-Sentinel; April 1, 2015.
[11] "Comparison with the Nazis"; The Online Hate Prevention Institute.
[12] Brother K; "THE CORRUPTION OF AMERICAN CIRCUMCISION" Facebook post; April 25, 2018
[13] Brother K; "CONFLICT OF INTEREST" Facebook post; January 24, 2020
[14] Michael Dulin; Facebook post; October 11, 2013
[15] Luke Artanis; comment on Moe Love Facebook post; circa October 12, 2019. "Circumcision isn't medicine and the Holocaust isn't history." (linking to a video by notorious Holocaust denier David Cole.)
[16] Luke Artanis comment on his Facebook post; circa 2019. "You could also say that Jews follow the Talmud as their New Testament. That's where you can read about Jesus being punished in hell in a vat of boiling feces..." Luke Artanis comment on Celeste Melody Lyons post; September 22, 2019. "...Jewish law says that non-Jews are sub-human and no Jew may turn over their fellow Jew by the secular law written by the godless sub-humans. raping children *is* enforcing the law from their perspective as racial supremacist pedophile cultists. These child molesters do not see themselves as Jewish Americans subject to American law, but as American Jews who must follow Jewish law." Click here for refutations of these antisemitic libels.
[17] Danielle Cruzen Facebook post and comment; March 22, 2020.
[18] Jay Mjinga Facebook post; posted in Antisemitism in Intactivism Facebook comment; January 3, 2023
[19] "Slice the antisemitism, Carl" Antisemitism in Intactivism Facebook post; January 29, 2023
[20] "Shame on the Bloodstained Men" Antisemitism in Intactivism Facebook post; October 3, 2022
[21] "Bloodstained Man Daniel Bryce" Antisemitism in Intactivism Facebook post; August 2, 2022
[22] In the top row of the linked photo (dated March 25, 2020): Luke Artanis is 2nd from the left. Kenneth Hopkins is center, and Stephen Barendregt is on right end.
[23] "Brother K with yet another person"; Antisemitism in Intactivism Facebook post; February 3, 2023.
[24] Tamar Sternthal; "False Zionist Quote: Sharon Quote is Fabricated"; CAMERA; June 20, 2002. "These quotes originated with the pro-Hamas American group Islamic Association for Palestine in an Oct. 13, 2001 press release, which claimed its source as Israeli radio Kol Yisrael ... CAMERA received confirmation from Kol Yisrael political correspondent Yoni Ben-Menachem, who reports on Cabinet meetings, that he never made such a broadcast and that [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon never made such a statement."
[24A] On February 22, 2024 King reportedly died from an opioid overdose.
[25] "Cape Coral, Day 5"; Bloodstained Men & Their Friends Facebook video; January 24, 2023
[26] Morten Frisch et al; “Cultural Bias in the AAP’s 2012 Technical Report and Policy Statement on Male Circumcision”; Pediatrics; April 2013
[27] The AAP task force issued a response: Susan Blank MD et al; “Cultural Bias and Circumcision: The AAP Task Force on Circumcision Responds”; Pediatrics; April 2013
[28] Intactivism feeds anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Denmark"; circuminfo dk; March 10, 2017
[29] Allan Kern et al; "Letter regarding Projekt Sexus"; Sober minoritetsforskning; November 27, 2017
[30] Morten Frisch Facebook post; May 19, 2016
[31] Morten Frisch; "New circumcision-friendly association is not unwelcome"; Kristeligt Dagblad; June 28, 2016. "The chairman's circle is thus made up of a self-proclaimed Jewish married biochemist on Facebook and father of two ritually circumcised sons, a male reserve doctor with the same first name as the prophet of Islam, the front woman of the state-supported association SOS against Racisme, who believes that boys have no right to gender equality, a female religious historian and a male Jewish epidemiologist with special knowledge of African parasitic diseases."
[32] Christian Birk; “Circumcision critics want researchers’ beliefs exposed”; Kristeligt Dagblad; September 12, 2016. “Conversely, chief physician Morten Frisch, who wants legislation on an 18-year minimum age for circumcision without medical indication, calls on journals to ensure that researchers declare personal - including religious - conflicts of interest.”
[33] Tellingly Frisch did not call for journals to reveal the beliefs of researchers who belong to religions that stand opposed to circumcision. Intactivists claim (falsely) that circumcision violates the Christian faith.
[34] Morten Frisch et al; “Male circumcision and sexual function in men and women: a survey-based, cross-sectional study in Denmark”; International Journal of Epidemiology; June 14, 2011. “Conflicts of interest: M.F. has been an author of articles on the possible role of male circumcision in relation to penile cancer risk and has taken part in national debates about the ethics surrounding male and female circumcision.”
[35] Morten Frisch and Jacob Simonsen; “Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys: national cohort study in Denmark”; Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine; July 2015. “Competing interests: MF has been an author of articles on health-related and sexual consequences of male circumcision and has taken part in national and international debates on the ethics of male and female circumcision.”
[36] Morten Frisch & Brian D. Earp; “Circumcision of male infants and children as a public health measure in developed countries: A critical assessment of recent evidence”; Global Public Health; May 19, 2016. “Disclosure Statement: Both authors have published articles and taken part in national and international debates concerning health-related, sexual, and ethical aspects of male and female circumcision. From a medical
ethics perspective, they are generally sceptical about the advisability of performing non-therapeutic
genital surgeries on minor children.”
[37] Morten Frisch et al; “Cultural background, non-therapeutic circumcision and the risk of meatal stenosis and other urethral stricture disease: Two nationwide register-based cohort studies in Denmark” The Surgeon; April 2018. “Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. MF has been an author of articles on health-related and sexual consequences of male circumcision and has taken part in national and international debates on the ethics of male and female circumcision. From a medical ethics perspective, MF is generally sceptical about the advisability of performing non-therapeutic genital surgeries on minor children.”
[38] Robert S. Van Howe, Morten Frisch, et al; “Circumcision registry promotes precise research and fosters informed parental decisions”; BMC Medical Ethics; January 9, 2019. “Competing interests: The authors have published articles and taken part in national and international debates concerning health-related, sexual, and ethical aspects of male and female circumcision. From a medical ethics perspective, we are generally skeptical about the advisability of performing non-therapeutic genital surgeries on minor children.”
[39] Morten Frisch, Jacob Simonsen; “Non-therapeutic male circumcision in infancy or childhood and risk of human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted infections; national cohort study in Denmark”; March 2022. “Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no financial conflicts of interest. MF has taken part in national and international debates on the ethics of genital procedures on minors. MF shares the viewpoint of the Danish Medical Association that medically unnecessary genital cutting without the consent of the affected individual is proscribed by medical ethics.”
[40] Morten Frisch Facebook post; May 9, 2014. The post was in response to criticism Frisch received for this December 15, 2013 post, in which he used a controversial ritual practiced by ultra-Orthodox mohels in New York City as a cudgel to attack Jewish circumcision defenders in Denmark.
[41] Stephen Moreton; comment in private Facebook group; August 7, 2022. “Demanding to know the religious background of authors is pure ad hominem. I go by the evidence. If it so happens a participant in the circumcision debate happens to be from a circumcising faith or culture at most it offers a possible explanation for why they've taken an interest in the topic, but that's all. For the record I am an atheist…”
[42] Anita Rienstra; “Two Israelis shot in Danish shopping centre”; ICE News; January 7, 2009
[43] JPost.com Staff; “Ambassador to Denmark warns against wearing Jewish symbols”; Jerusalem Post; December 13, 2012
[44] “Danish Police’ Travel Advisory To Jews: Stay Away From Unsafe Areas; Matzav; December 17, 2012
[45] Michael Moynihan; “Hiding Judaism in Copenhagen”; Tablet; March 27, 2013
[46] “Copenhagen Jewish School Warns Against Wearing Kippahs”; Forward; August 8, 2014
[47] “Security guard killed outside synagogue during bar mitzvah”; Associated Press; February 15, 2015
[48] Chabad.org staff; “Copenhagen Jewish Community on High Alert After Multiple Terror Attacks”; Chabad; February 15, 2015
[49] “Danish teen charged in plot to bomb Jewish school allegedly inspired by Copenhagen synagogue gunman”; Jewish Telegraphic Agency; May 11, 2017
[50] Amna Nawaz; “In Denmark, Auschwitz survivors lament the rise of anti-Semitism” PBS NewsHour; February 20, 2020.
[51] Dan Verbin; “Jewish cemetery in Denmark vandalized during Passover by Neo-Nazi group”; Israel National News; April 5, 2021
[52] Morten Frisch tweet; May 19, 2016
[53] Brendon Marotta; “A Jewish Guide To Talking To Circumcision Survivors”; Hegemon Media; March 16, 2022
[54] Andrew Gross; "Marotta misleads and goysplains in classic case of projection"; Circumcision Choice; March 21, 2022
[55] Brendon Marotta; "The Abuse of Jewish Fragility"; Hegemon Media; March 26, 2022
[56] Exodus 21:22-25
[57] Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon; "How to Deradicalize a Movement"; jewschool; May 16, 2022
[57A] Brendon Marotta; "My Role on the Issue of Circumcision is Changing"; Brendon Marotta Blog; July 26, 2019." "In 2011, I sat on the steps of the San Francisco capitol building and wondered if I should continue making the film. A court had just thrown out the ... ballot initiative to ban infant circumcision in San Francisco, after a well-funded smear campaign lead [sic] by the ADL and their media Allie's had tried to brand anyone speaking out against circumcision as an anti-Semite or Nazi. They had used the full force of the media to silence people who felt they had been sexuslly assaulted."
[57B] Brendon Marotta tweet; August 18, 2021
[58] Examiner Staff; "Religion tips off battle over San Francisco circumcision ban"; San Francisco Examiner; June 23, 2011. "'It's not vilifying everybody, just the person doing the cutting,' Schofield said. 'Other Jewish people in the comic are portrayed as caring and loving.'" In fact not one circumcision proponent in the comic book was portrayed as caring and loving.
[59] Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon; "Interview With the Creator of Foreskin Man"; jewschool; June 30, 2011
[60] Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon; “On Eric Clopper and Misdirected Anger”; Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon blog; August 20, 2018
[61] Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon; "Dear intactivists"; Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon YouTube channel; July 18, 2018
[62] David Balashinsky; "Brendon Marotta's 'The Abuse of Jewish Fragility': a Case Study in How to Undermine the Cause of Genital Autonomy through Jewish Scapegoating and the Use of Classic Antisemitic Tropes"; BalaBlog; March 28, 2022
[63] Ryan McAllister; "Refuting 'Jewish Fragility' & Why Antisemitism Harms the Genital Autonomy (GA) Movement"; Beyond the Bris; circa April 30, 2022
[64] David Balashinsky, Lisa Braver Moss, Tim Hammond, Ryan McAllister, Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, Rebecca Wald; "Standing Against Antisemitism"; Beyond the Bris; April 28, 2022
[65] Georganne Chapin; “Opposition to Child Genital Cutting is Based on Human Rights, Not Anti-Religious Sentiments”; Intact America blog; July 21, 2022
[66] Daniel Blackwell; "Eric Clopper Was Banned From Presenting At Intact 2022"; Conte News; May 14, 2023
[67] Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon; "Eli and Eric?!"; Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon YouTube video; June 4, 2023 [68] Brendon Marotta; "Response to Blocked and Reported Podcast"; Hegemon Media; (beginning at 20:30); June 13, 2023
[69] Trace Woodgrains; comment to "Response to False Claims Made About Me on Blocked and Reported Podcast", BlockedAndReported subreddit; June 13, 2023