Euthanasia to be made legal in Israel

[sharonbn]

Euthanasia to be made legal in Israel

It has taken six years to prepare. It passed the committees for health, welfare and constitution. Today, Dec. 6th 2005, the proposal for "The Law of the sick who is about to die" will be brought before the Knesset for vote.

Several Rabbis participated in the drafting of the proposal, in order to suit the law with the Jewish Halacha and to balance the sacred principal of human life and honoring one's wishes.

The law defines "terminal ill" as a person who suffers an incurable illness and has mo nore than six months to live, or a person who has several organic system failures and the doctors estimate he has two weeks to live. the law further states that the sick person must explicitly express desire to end his life or alternatively must be suffering great pain. The law proposal details the means by which the wish of the sick person can be verified. For instance, if the sick person is in a condition where he cannot express himself, the mercy killing will be carried according to instructions the sick person left with his doctors or a proxy.

The law is not intended to deal with sick persons in a "vegetable" state, since these persons do not face an imminent death.

The procedure of the mercy killing will be carried out by attaching a stop-watch to the life supporting machinery. The stop watch (aka Shabat clock) will be responsible for stopping the machine's function.

Leading the law were KMs Shaul Yahalom, from Mafdal party, and Roman Bronfmann, from Meretz party.

* translated from Ynet.

[KettleWhistle]

This is called "assisted suicide," not "euthanasia." Euthanasia is when it is done without patient's request.

[Luke90]

This is called "assisted suicide," not "euthanasia." Euthanasia is when it is done without patient's request.

I can't find any mention of that distinction at dictionary.com.
I think euthanasia encompasses assisted suicide as well.

[Mediocrates]

I'm not clear. Are we talking proactive measures or are we talking the withdrawal on ongoing life support? There is difference between 'pulling the plug' and hastening death through other means.

[The Negotiator]

Well I cant say I approve of this move, I believe in God and think its up to him to decide when one is born and one dies, I know alot of people today do not believe in God, But Euthanasia, Abortion in my view should be outlawed throughout the world, That being said even if this filthy practice is outlawed people will continue to have abortions by 'back street' surgeons, and people will always continue to commit suicide regardless of Euthansia,

[Justcurious]

Well I can say I approve of this move. It may be difficult to make a decison, if one is healthy, but with all the pain around you one can only imagine what a relief or blessing eutanasia can be.

[minusthejihad]

Well I cant say I approve of this move, I believe in God and think its up to him to decide when one is born and one dies

Really? And is it g-d that decides to do an emergency c-section too?

[sharonbn]

I'm not clear. Are we talking proactive measures or are we talking the withdrawal on ongoing life support? There is difference between 'pulling the plug' and hastening death through other means.

The article on Ynet only mentions 'pulling the plug' of life support systems. it does seem like this method can cause slow painful death in some cases. I can only assume they addresses this issue in the law proposal.

[Mediocrates]

Hmm - one would think that 'plug pulling' would have been resolved long ago especially with your history of violence and injury.

When we talk about these issues it's typically about people who are not on life support but who are terminal, in great pain or severely limited in other ways. There is also an ongoing discussion about quality of life issues for people who are radically limited or will be, but who are not terminal or, if they are, it's a very long term proposition such as ALS, MD, Huntington's Chorea, etc. with or without pain management issues.

We tend to handle these issues outside the law, with an understanding doctor and some very vague yet useful instructions. Assisted suicide isn't legal in the US in any state if I'm not mistaken, so we take matters into our own hands.


BTW is there anything like hospice care in Israel? A medical facility specifically designed around end of life situations?

[KettleWhistle]

I think euthanasia encompasses assisted suicide as well.

It does not. Maybe in pop-culture, but by no means by professional/legal definitions. Euthanasia is killing out of mercy, without request or permission on behalf of the suffering party. Like shooting a mad dog.