Chief rabbis wage war on abortions

Rabbis Yona Metzger, Shlomo Amar reinstate special committee meant to fight pregnancy terminations; say it 'impedes coming of redemption'

Kobi Nahshoni Published: 12.29.09, 15:07 / Israel Jewish Scene

Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger and Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar announced Tuesday that they plan to renew the struggle against abortions though a special committee set up by the Chief Rabbinate, in hopes of preventing "the killing of fetuses in their mother's womb".

In a letter sent out to rabbis throughout Israel, Metzger and Amar wrote: "The vast majority of abortions are unnecessary and forbidden by Halacha," adding the committee was already exploring ways to reduce the number of abortions approved.

The two argue that according to data presented to the Chief Rabbinate, some 50,000 abortions are performed in Israel every year, 20,000 of which are legal. "Adding to the gravity of this transgression is the fact that it impedes the coming of redemption."

The two religious leaders also expressed their horror at the numbers: "What heart doesn’t cringe by these numbers which indicate nothing less that a pandemic… and the loss of tens of thousands of Jewish souls every year."

The letter went on to commend the work of Efrat – an anti-abortion organization "which works tirelessly to save fetuses' lives."

"The public, said the rabbis, "Must be made to understand the gravity of the killing of fetuses, which is equal to the murder of souls," adding that community rabbis must include family planning and the abortion ban in their sermons.

From: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3826720,00.html