The Minister of Health will hold a special discussion this week, following the decision of the "Helsinki Committee" to approve the cloning of embryos for research purposes. The representatives of his office in the committee apparently expressed their consent to the cloning, without his knowledge
Yuval Dror and Tamara Traubman, Haaretz, Walla News!
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The Minister of Health, Danny Neve, will hold a special discussion this week, following the publication of the news on Friday, according to which the "Helsinki Committee" for genetic experiments on humans, in which the representatives of the chief scientist at the Ministry of Health also participate, has decided to approve in principle the cloning of human embryos for research purposes. Noveh refused to comment before the hearing was held, however officials in the ministry claimed that he was surprised to learn that approval in principle for cloning embryos was given by officials in his ministry without him, the director general of the ministry, or other senior officials knowing about it. It is not clear whether the discussion at the Ministry of Health is intended to find out why the Ministry's management did not report the decision, or whether the Minister intends to order a re-examination of the decision.
The other reactions to the news were mixed. The Minister of Science, MK Eliezer (Modi) Zandberg, said that the approval given by the Helsinki Committee to Prof. Yosef Itzkowitz, director of the women's department at the Rambam Hospital, is in accordance with the content of the Law Prohibiting Genetic Intervention: "It is impossible and not necessary to stop scientific research , especially when it has a life-saving medical benefit, but it should continue to be monitored through the existing committees for bioethics," Zandberg said. According to him, "those who oppose the decision of the Helsinki Committee are not acting in a matter-of-fact way and their whole goal is to stop the development of scientific research in this field. It is sad to discover that factors that claim to be enlightened consider considerations reminiscent of conservative and dark factors."
The chairperson of the Knesset's Science and Technology Committee, MK Mali Polishuk-Bloch (Shinoi), also noted that Prof. Itzkovitz's research was done in accordance with the law: "I have no objection to conducting research that advances the world of medicine," she said.
Polishok added that the proposal causes great discomfort: "The Ministry of Health has not defined the issue of the use of eggs in the legislation, and in studies of this type there is a requirement for eggs." Polishuk also added that the current law does not define who supervises the scientists after they have received the appropriate approvals. "It is absurd that the law that deals with animal experiments does a more thorough job in terms of what is allowed and what is forbidden in relation to the law that deals with human experiments," she said.
Lia Ettinger, PhD, a biologist and academic coordinator of the Heschel Center, a center for environmental thinking, said yesterday that "such decisions should not be left only in the hands of scientists, as is the case in Israel; It must be a dialogue between scientists and doctors and public representatives. These things have many aspects that are not scientific, but social". According to her, this is the development of a technology that is likely to intensify health and social disparities: "It will result in the exploitation of the weakest, that is, poor women, who will sell their eggs for a living, while the embryos will benefit a limited elite who will be able to pay the high sums that will be required to use the technology."
Member of Knesset Polishuk also said that following the article she decided to call a meeting of the Science and Technology Committee. According to her, "I have no intention of waiting for the Ministry of Health, which has been promising for several years to put order in the field of egg use." Polishok noted that during the week the law prohibiting cloning for reproductive purposes will be brought to the Knesset for a second and third reading. The law establishes a temporary ban (moratorium) for a period of five years on cloning for reproductive purposes, but allows cloning for medical purposes.
The scientist of human cloning
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