Israel - "It's one thing for a government to approve abortion, but another for it to pay for abortion"

'Israel Has Given Up All Moral Boundaries

on Abortion' 

by Ryan Jones

Israel's newly-passed health budget for 2014 includes a significant increase in government funding for legal abortions, a move that Sandy Shoshani, national director of the pro-life organization Be'ad Chaim, says is a serious indictment of the nation's spiritual condition.

Last month, the Health Basket Committee - which annually decides which medications, treatments and procedures will be covered or subsidized by the government - determined that the previous practice of paying for abortions for women under the age of 19 and over the age of 40 wasn't enough.

Included in the new budget is 16 million shekels (USD $4.5 million) to also cover abortions for women between the ages of 20-33.

While all women seeking a legal abortion must receive special approval, the committee in charge of making that decision rubber-stamps 97 percent of requests, or well over 20,000 abortions each year.

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Read more: www.israeltoday.co.il

Daily readings:

Reading 1, First Samuel 4:1-11

1 and, for all Israel, the word of Samuel was as the word of Yahweh; since Eli was very old and his sons persisted in their wicked behaviour towards Yahweh. It happened at that time that the Philistines mustered to make war on Israel and Israel went out to meet them in war, pitching camp near Ebenezer while the Philistines pitched camp at Aphek.

2 The Philistines drew up their battle-line against Israel, the fighting was fierce, and Israel was beaten by the Philistines: about four thousand men in their ranks were killed on the field of battle.

3 When the troops returned to camp, the elders of Israel said, 'Why has Yahweh caused us to be beaten by the Philistines today? Let us fetch the ark of our God from Shiloh so that, when it goes with us, it may save us from the clutches of our enemies.'

4 So the troops sent to Shiloh and brought away the ark of Yahweh Sabaoth enthroned on the winged creatures; the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark.

5 When the ark of Yahweh arrived in the camp, all Israel raised a great war cry so that the earth resounded.

6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the war cry, they said, 'What can this great war cry in the Hebrew camp mean?' And they realised that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.

7 At this, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, 'God has come into the camp. Disaster!' they said. 'For nothing like this has ever happened before.

8 Disaster! Who will rescue us from the clutches of this mighty God? This was the God who struck down Egyptwith every kind of misfortune in the desert.

9 But take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews as they have beenslaves to you. Be men and fight.'

10 So the Philistines gave battle and Israel was defeated, each man fleeing to his tent. The slaughter was very great: on the Israelite side, thirty thousand foot soldiers fell.

11 The ark of God was captured too, and Hophni and Phinehas the two sons of Eli died.

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Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 44:10-11, 14-15, 25-26

10 you leave us to fall back before the enemy, those who hate us plunder us at will.

11 You hand us over like sheep for slaughter, you scatter us among the nations,

14 you make us a by-word among nations, other peoples shake their heads over us.

15 All day long I brood on my disgrace, the shame written clear on my face,

25 For we are bowed down to the dust, and lie prone on the ground.

26 Arise! Come to our help! Ransom us, as your faithful love demands.