Center for Bioethics Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
July 2003
Abstract
Unlike most Western nations, Israel does not recognize full separation of church and state but seeks instead a gentle fusion of Jewish and democratic values. Inasmuch as important religious norms such as sanctity of life may clash with dignity, privacy, and self-determination, conflicts frequently arise as Israeli lawmakers, ethicists, and healthcare professionals attempt to give substance to the idea of a Jewish-democratic state. Emerging issues in Israeli bioethics—end-of-life treatment, fertility, genetic research, and medical ethics during armed conflict—highlight this conflict vividly.
COinS
Date Posted: 13 March 2007
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
Reprinted in Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, Volume 12, Issue 3, July 2003, pages 247-255. Publisher URL: 10.1017/S0963180103123055
NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Vardit Ravitsky was affiliated with the Gertner Institute for Health Policy Research, Tel HaShomer, Israel. Currently March 2007, he is a faculty member in the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.