Contrary to media reports: an Israel court did not permit euthanasia for the first time.

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

Alex Schadenberg

The language of the euthanasia debate continues to confuse people and much of the media. Recent opinion polls that ask: If you were suffering and terminally ill, should you be able to ask for a death with dignity have received a strong YES response. But what does the question actually mean?

In a similar way, the Israel media falsely reported that - for the first time in Israel, the court permitted euthanasia for a terminal patient. The article states:

The Tel Aviv District Court gave the verdict after the Attorney General reached an unprecedented decision to allow the patient to be disconnected from the life support machine he was connected to, according to the Israeli daily. 

The verdict was carried out and the patient died after the machine was switched off. The unique case was released for publication after a request from Ha'aretz.

Euthanasia causes death.

In the past, the withdrawal of medical treatment was falsely referred to as passive euthanasia. The withdrawal of medical treatment does not constitute euthanasia but rather it allows a natural death.

There is a clear distinction between euthanasia, which is the direct and intentional cause of death, and withdrawing treatment, which allows death to occur naturally. No one actually caused the death of this person in Israel, the person died of her medical condition.

A Jewish Perspective on Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Palliative Care.

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

A column written by Don Marmur, Rabbi emeritus at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple and published in the Toronto Star on July 7, 2014 under the title: Palliative Care preferable to assisted suicide, offers a Jewish perspective on the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Marmur's comments are based on the Quebec euthanasia bill 52, which he refers to as unique in North America with implications that effect us all.

Marmur begins by explaining his faith tradition by stating:

My faith teaches that life is God’s gift and, therefore, sacred. For humans, to take it away in murder or suicide is criminal and sinful. Despite its claim to compassion, assisted suicide may be of that ilk.

Marmur then recognizes that palliative care may quicken death but that does not contravene ethics. He wrote:

But my faith also teaches that as God’s creatures we’re obligated to lighten the burden of others and do our utmost to relieve them of suffering. Palliative care for the terminally ill is of that ilk.

Marmur then quotes Rabbi Benny Lau, one of Israel’s outstanding religious leaders, who stated:

“Yes to compassion, no to murder.” ... if doctors cannot cure, they should allow terminally ill patients to die, though without actively helping them to do so.

Another prominent Israeli rabbi, David Stav, is then referred to by Marmur"

 “We fear that the family members or medical staff will exert concealed or open pressure on terminally ill patients, who will choose a ‘respectable’ death in order to make things easier for those staying alive.” 

 “Giving physicians the right to prescribe a life-ending prescription changes the image of doctors in their own eyes and in the eyes of society, and could have a far-reaching impact on the role of doctors and the trust in them.”

Marmur then quotes Mordechai Halperin of Jerusalem, a doctor and a rabbi to have stated:

permitting assisted suicide “will eventually lead to ending the lives of people who ‘are not suitable for us.’” In their endeavour to save taxpayers’ money, states may adopt forms of “mercy killing” in the guise of compassion and compliance with the wishes of citizens. The scandal of the Nazi euthanasia program must never be far from our minds.

Israel debates assisted suicide.

By Alex Schadenberg
International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The assisted suicide debate has heated up in Israel, where, on Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that would allow assisted suicide. 

Uri Orbach, the Minister for Senior Citizens, submitted an appeal to the assisted suicide bill saying that he would work to:

"save the legal system from this pill of death."

According to the The Times of Isreal, The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that would provide legal immunity to physicians who prescribe a lethal dose to patients who are defined as terminal.

Orbach stated on facebook that the bill commodified death.

“Death is becoming a commodity or service granted to citizens. The poor doctors now have to supply death for terminally ill patients as well [as medical care]. This is a false liberalism which claims that everything is negotiable as long as it is the free will of the customer. Any other value: social, religious, legal is rejected in the face of the individual’s choice,” 

Israel assisted suicide bill will be defeated.

News reports in Israel are stating that an assisted suicide bill will not pass.

A news reports stated:

Minister Uri Orbach says he will oppose the legislation of the MK Ofer Shelach (Yesh Atid) proposal to allow doctors to prescribe suicide medication for self-administration in case of terminal illness, "The health system cannot take responsibility for the euthanasia of terminal patients. Anyone who wants to take their own lives is not under the care of the state," said Orbach.

Another news report stated:

The Ministerial Committee on Legislation plans to debate a new bill that seeks to legalize doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. 

The proposal, dubbed the "death by prescription" bill, was drafted by MK Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid). It will be presented to the committee on Sunday. ... 

The bill has sparked controversy in the medical community in Israel, and many doctors have urged Shelah's fellow Yesh Atid member Health Minister Yael German to oppose the bill. 

"Doctors in Israel have earned the public's trust because of our outstanding dedication to saving lives," Israel Medical Association Chairman Dr. Leonid Idelman said. "This trust will be detrimentally harmed if, heaven forbid, any doctor pursues euthanasia." 

In a letter to German, Idelman noted that the World Medical Association's official position on the matter states that euthanasia is unethical.

Assisted suicide must be prohibited. Assisted suicide allows one person to be involved with causing the death of another person. All jurisdictions have experienced some abuse of assisted suicide laws.

Israel overwhelming rejects assisted suicide law

Israel news reported yesterday that the Knesset rejected a bill to legalize assisted suicide by a vote of 48 to 16.

The news article stated:

In a preliminary reading, the Knesset has rejected a law proposal that would have allowed (assisted suicide) terminally ill patients to take drugs that would cause them to die.

NK Chaim Oron (Meretz), who initiated the law titled 'Death by Prescription,' proposed that a dying patient who is able and of legal age should receive, upon request, a prescription for a lethal dose of a sedative. Only 16 MKs voted for the law, while 48 voted against it.

Considering the devastating experience with the T4 euthanasia programme in Nazi Germany, It is shocking that even 16 MKs in Israel would consider the legalization of assisted suicide.