Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. secretary of health and human services, of antisemitism on Thursday, after the latter said that there was a link between circumcision and autism.
“This is an antisemitic remark,” wrote Nadler, who is Jewish. “I call on all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to clearly denounce it.”
Kennedy was speaking at a cabinet meeting earlier on Thursday in support of his department’s recommendation in September that pregnant women should avoid taking acetaminophen over a possible increase in the risk that the fetus will develop autism.
“There’s many, many other confirmation studies,” he said. “There’s two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism. It’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol.”
It’s unclear what studies Kennedy was referring to, but a 2015 study in Denmark purported to show a link between circumcision pain and autism, while a 1995 study used circumcision rates as a proxy for acetaminophen administration and found a correlation with autism diagnoses.
Male circumcision is a religious requirement in both Judaism and Islam, but is widely practiced in the United States. About 80% of American newborn boys are circumcised.
