The World Federation of Public Health Associations has sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog warning that the judicial reforms proposed by the current government could endanger public health and harm Israel’s international standing.
The letter, signed by WFPHA President Prof. Luis Eugenio de Souza and sent over the weekend, is meant to “express solidarity with health professionals in Israel whose professional autonomy and independence are under threat,” the letter stated.
De Souza praised Israel’s governance and health system for setting an example for the world and the country for being committed to “providing all citizens with the highest health standards and principles of equity and ethical, medical, and scientific excellence, as enshrined in the constitution of the World Health Organization and ratified by the State of Israel.”
But he wrote that he was “alarmed by the drive of Israel’s present ruling coalition to weaken the independence of the judiciary to eliminate essential checks and balances on the executive branch’s power.
“The proposed changes, if enacted, will alter Israel’s regime by eliminating basic protections for human rights,” De Souza wrote. “Passing the proposed reforms would imperil Israel’s international standing.”
The letter urged Herzog to “exert your full moral leadership and constitutional authority” to stop the reforms and ensure the country’s commitment to health for all of its people.