I respectfully ask Israeli citizens and taxpayers to consider a matter of concern.
A recent report shows that in 2015 the Israeli government spent around NIS 46,600,000 on abortions. That is around over $13,000,000.
I understand that through an expansion of abortion services in the health basket of 2014, women between the ages of 20 to 33 are now eligible for state funded abortions for no medical reason or other reason permitted by statutory law.
It appears that children may go without necessary medical treatment while women can have state funded abortions for no other reason than that they choose to. In these cases a private choice is being funded by the tax payer at enormous cost.
I find it baffling that a country that prides itself on safe-guarding the “sanctity of life” through its Basic Laws should spend so much money on terminating life for no medical reason.
The expansion of abortion services through the health basket is also a great deviation from Article 316 of the Penal Code 1977 which covers the termination of pregnancy. If the Knesset was not involved in this decision, I believe the expansion was unconstitutional and should be retracted immediately.
I am trying to establish whether the 2014 health basket expansion for abortion was approved by the Knesset or not. I have so far been unable to. I would be glad of any assistance with confirmation of this.
As the Health Committee is currently finalizing the health basket for next year, I hope and trust that public funds will not be used for abortions that fall outside the categories currently allowed by statutory law.