The Knesset was immersed in heated debate today over a proposed amendment that would substantially liberalize Israel’s present abortion laws. The amendment, introduced by Chaika Grossman, of Mapam, was supported by most women MKs and by the few men who participated in the debate. Only the Orthodox MKs railed against the measure, terming it degenerate and national suicide.
The amendment would make abortion legal if approved on either medical or social grounds by a committee of two professionals who may consist of a doctor, a gynecologist, a public health nurse or social worker. The criteria for permissible abortion would be danger to the life of the mother which is grounds for abortion under existing laws; danger to the life of the fetus; and “danger of serious damage to mother or children because of family circumstances” meaning large families on the poverty level.
The amendment would permit abortions within the first three months of pregnancy and only in approved medical institutions. Abortions would also be justified in cases of pregnancy out of wedlock or resulting from rape or incestuous union or in cases where the mother is a minor.
DEBATE FLARES UP
Marcia Freedman of the new Social Democratic Party, welcomed the amendment but said it did not go far enough. She said some 60,000 abortions are performed in Israel each year, only 15,000 of them legally. Akiva Nof, of Likud, one of the few men who joined the debate, said the issue was whether abortions would continue to be performed furtively under unsanitary conditions at extortionist prices or safely by licensed medical personnel.
Ora Namir, of the Labor Party, said the amendment was especially important for women in the poorer levels of society who were not familiar or comfortable with birth control methods. Shulamit Aloni, of the Yaad faction, supported the amendment on grounds that women have the sole right to control their own bodies and should not be forced to bear unwanted children.
The only woman law-maker opposed to the amendment was Geula Cohen, of Likud, who claimed the measure was too loosely drafted and therefore would have the effect of abolishing all restrictions on abortion. Predictably, the Orthodox factions, which include no women in the Knesset, were outraged. Kalman Kahane, of Poalei Aguda, said the amendment would have Israel follow the course of other “degenerate” countries. Other Orthodox MKs claimed abortion was national suicide at a time when aliya was down and Israel needed to increase its population.
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