Guno צְבִי
Am Yisrael Chai
Women's Rights
Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. In the Palestinian Authority and most Arab states, women are treated as second-class citizens, often denied the right to vote or work in most fields, and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, they are not even allowed to drive a car. Worse, abuse of women, such as “honor killings” and spousal rape, is tolerated and accepted in society.
Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse, and they have been engaged in all walks of life, from homemaker to combat soldier to prime minister. In September 2006, Dorit Beinisch was sworn in as Israel's first female Supreme Court President. In 2011, a tradition of women graduating from the Israeli Air Force's elite fighter pilot school reached a new high when five recruits successfully finished the intensive training.
Additionally, women comprise nearly 51% of all magistrate and district court judges, making it very likely that more women will be appointed to the Supreme Court in the future. Additionally, more than 44% of all lawyers registered in Israel are women.
For extensive coverage of women in Israel's public life, CLICK HERE.
Gay & Lesbian Equality
Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of recognizing differences based on sexual orientation. Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In 2006, Israel hosted "Love Without Borders: WorldPride," a weeklong event organized by LGBT activists from around the world. In 2012, Israel's largest city, Tel Avi,v was named the World's Best Gay City by participants in an international competition. The Israeli city garnered a whopping 43 percent of votes in the online survey, ranking it far above other, more famous places such as New York City, Sydney and San Francisco.
By contrast, homosexuals are not protected in Arab and Muslim states, and they are often imprisoned and sometimes executed. In the Palestinian Authority, sodomy carries a jail term of three to 10 years
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-rsquo-s-liberal-democracy
Abortion
A 1977 law ensures a low-cost, and in some cases free, legal abortion to any woman who fills one of four criteria:
She is under 18 or over 40 (cost to those in between: 1,500 shekels [$370]).
She carries a fetus with a severe mental or physical defect (free).
She claims that the fetus results from forbidden relations such as rape or incest (free) or, in the case of a married woman, that the baby is not her husband’s (not free). Single women also fall under this clause, and they too must pay.
She shows that her physical or mental health would be harmed by continuing the pregnancy (free).
In 1980, a fifth criterion that allowed abortions for women living in economic hardship was abolished due to pressure from religious political parties.
In January 2014, the Knesset passed a reform to the national health coverage law, guaranteeing free abortions to patients between the ages of 20 and 33, regardless of financial circumstance.
“The rights to a woman’s body are those of the woman alone,” said Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz just days after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that prevented states from outlawing abortion. “We are in a different place, and today we are taking big steps in the right direction,” Horowitz added.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/legal-terms-of-abortion-in-israel
Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. In the Palestinian Authority and most Arab states, women are treated as second-class citizens, often denied the right to vote or work in most fields, and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, they are not even allowed to drive a car. Worse, abuse of women, such as “honor killings” and spousal rape, is tolerated and accepted in society.
Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse, and they have been engaged in all walks of life, from homemaker to combat soldier to prime minister. In September 2006, Dorit Beinisch was sworn in as Israel's first female Supreme Court President. In 2011, a tradition of women graduating from the Israeli Air Force's elite fighter pilot school reached a new high when five recruits successfully finished the intensive training.
Additionally, women comprise nearly 51% of all magistrate and district court judges, making it very likely that more women will be appointed to the Supreme Court in the future. Additionally, more than 44% of all lawyers registered in Israel are women.
For extensive coverage of women in Israel's public life, CLICK HERE.
Gay & Lesbian Equality
Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of recognizing differences based on sexual orientation. Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In 2006, Israel hosted "Love Without Borders: WorldPride," a weeklong event organized by LGBT activists from around the world. In 2012, Israel's largest city, Tel Avi,v was named the World's Best Gay City by participants in an international competition. The Israeli city garnered a whopping 43 percent of votes in the online survey, ranking it far above other, more famous places such as New York City, Sydney and San Francisco.
By contrast, homosexuals are not protected in Arab and Muslim states, and they are often imprisoned and sometimes executed. In the Palestinian Authority, sodomy carries a jail term of three to 10 years
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-rsquo-s-liberal-democracy
Abortion
A 1977 law ensures a low-cost, and in some cases free, legal abortion to any woman who fills one of four criteria:
She is under 18 or over 40 (cost to those in between: 1,500 shekels [$370]).
She carries a fetus with a severe mental or physical defect (free).
She claims that the fetus results from forbidden relations such as rape or incest (free) or, in the case of a married woman, that the baby is not her husband’s (not free). Single women also fall under this clause, and they too must pay.
She shows that her physical or mental health would be harmed by continuing the pregnancy (free).
In 1980, a fifth criterion that allowed abortions for women living in economic hardship was abolished due to pressure from religious political parties.
In January 2014, the Knesset passed a reform to the national health coverage law, guaranteeing free abortions to patients between the ages of 20 and 33, regardless of financial circumstance.
“The rights to a woman’s body are those of the woman alone,” said Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz just days after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that prevented states from outlawing abortion. “We are in a different place, and today we are taking big steps in the right direction,” Horowitz added.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/legal-terms-of-abortion-in-israel
