On October 9, 2023, Bella Savitsky got the “knock on the door” that parents of all combat soldiers in Israel dread. Her son Jonathan, a 21-year-old in the special forces Egoz unit, had been killed fighting in a heavy battle at the Kissufim army outpost in Gaza.
Reports from that day say that during a seven-hour gun battle, Jonathan helped save dozens of people, including more than 30 unarmed female soldiers from the border observation unit (tatzpitaniyot). He was killed on October 7 but because of the chaos of the war, it took two days until Savitsky was informed that her son had been killed.
Savitsky, a doctor of public health, immediately asked that his sperm be taken posthumously. But since it was more than 36 hours since her son was killed, the sperm was no longer viable. Savitsky, who works in the Nursing Department of Ashkelon Academic College, is now advocating for a sperm bank to be operated by the IDF, to which young men could choose to contribute when they join the army.
This idea has several advantages, she said. First of all, studies show that the quality of male semen has declined globally in recent decades due to pollution, diet, smoking, stress, and lifestyle. Preserving sperm at age 18 can help maintain fertility.
The issue has become more relevant in Israel since the beginning of the war in October 2023. Israel has always allowed for posthumous retrieval of sperm, and parents were allowed to ask for sperm to be retrieved. Savitsky said that a few days into the war, the law changed and the officers who inform the family of a soldier’s death are supposed to offer the option of posthumous sperm retrieval. But Savitsky said she knows of two cases where the families, who were under tremendous emotional strain at the time, didn’t understand the procedure. They thought the officers were asking if they wanted the sperm taken and used in fertility treatments for couples who are unable to conceive. In both cases, they declined, later saying that if they had understood the procedure, they might have made a different decision.
The Ministry of Defense reports that sperm has been taken from 219 fallen soldiers since the war began, as well as 16 citizens. In 80% of cases, the sperm was taken at the request of the parents. Five young widows have already received court approval to use the sperm, and one of the widows is pregnant.
Savitsky said that if soldiers were asked before enlisting whether they wanted posthumous sperm removal, that could speed up the process.
“Every minute is important,” she told The Jerusalem Report. “The sperm can deteriorate very quickly, especially in a warm climate like Israel. And the officers first have to inform the family and get permission to take the sperm.”
Moral implications
Posthumous sperm retrieval raises some ethical concerns, said Avraham Steinberg, director of the Medical Ethics Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
“If the soldier is married, we assume that he would have wanted children from his wife,” he said. “But if he is a bachelor or single, there is no assumption of informed consent, especially if the sperm is going to a surrogate woman whom he had never met.”
The issue is complicated when it is the soldiers’ parents who want to use the sperm.
“From a halachic and ethical point of view, there is no informed consent,” he said. “The fact that his parents want a grandson to remember him is nice but could be problematic.”
There is also a halachic issue of bringing a child into the world, knowing that he will not have one of his parents.
In a study that Savitsky published last year, in Israel 47% of men with living parents opposed posthumous sperm removal, as did 37% of soldiers either married or in a serious relationship. That fairly large percentage is yet another reason why asking a soldier the question during the enlistment process is important, she said.
Soldiers themselves said they hadn’t thought much about the question, but opinion was divided.
“I’ve heard about it, but I’d have to discuss it with my fiancée,” said Uriel Shear, a sniper who has done more than 200 days of reserve duty since the war began. “I think she would probably want it.”
After a few minutes, he added, “Actually, I think it’s beautiful, and I think I would want my bloodline to continue.”
Others, such as Netanel Elmaliach, 23, who was Yonatan’s best friend and described him as an “angel,” said he supported the idea theoretically but wouldn’t want to do it.
“I think this should be a choice, but I wouldn’t want a child that I didn’t raise,” he said.
There are private sperm banks available, but they charge hundreds of dollars a year. As a first stage, Savitsky envisions asking soldiers if they would theoretically agree to posthumous sperm retrieval. If a soldier dies in battle, the sperm could be taken immediately, even before the family is officially notified. Savitsky stressed that even if sperm is taken posthumously, it cannot be used without a separate court order.
In the long term, she would like to see a sperm bank for soldiers funded by the Ministry of Defense.
Men between the ages of 18 – 40 are sked to fill out a survey about their interest in the topic at the following link.