Israel: Gives women access to abortion pills

In the decision to relax regulations Israel is moving forward with access to abortion, with the health minister calling the new regulatory framework a response to the "sad" ruling by the US Supreme Court that overturned Roe v Wade last week.

The new rules, approved by a parliamentary committee, give all women access to abortion pills through the country’s public health system and remove the long-standing requirement for women to be physically exposed to special committee before being allowed to terminate a pregnancy, according to the Guardian.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court abolished the constitutional protection of women for abortion, after almost half a century of its implementation with the Roe v Wade law, a decision that has sparked strong reactions worldwide.

Israeli Health Minister Nijan Harovic, who leads the Meretz Liberal Party, said the US decision "went back in time" on women's rights.

"A woman has an absolute right over her body," he said. "The obscure decision to deny women the right to choose what to do with their bodies is a sad process of female repression that puts the leading force of the free and liberal world 100 years behind."

Abortion is widely available in Israel and much less controversial than in the US, but women do not automatically have the right to proceed.

Under the new rules, women in Israel will now have access to abortion pills at their local clinics. They will no longer have to appear before an abortion approval committee and of course application form will be shortened and simplified.

Abortion approval committees have been heavily criticized in Israel over the years. While most requests are approved, women have objected to being subject to bureaucracy and in a humiliating and intrusive process. At the same time, women can face long waiting times before going through a committee.

From now on the process will be digitized and the requirement to meet with a social worker will become optional. The new regulations will take effect in three months.

"The reform we adopted today will create a simpler process, one that is more respectful, more advanced and retains a woman's right to make decisions about her body - a basic human right," Horowitz said.

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