The Knesset plenum approved the Terminally-Ill Patient Law in
a first reading vote of 77 to 7. The opponents were the two
Degel HaTorah MKs who voted as instructed by maranan
verabonon, two MKs from Agudas Yisroel and three MKs from
Arab parties. Shas supported the proposal.
According to the precedent-setting bill, for the first time
doctors in Israel would be permitted by law not to
artificially prolong the life of a terminally-ill patient,
i.e. they would be allowed to refrain from administering
medical care to patients with a prognosis of imminent death.
The bill was tabled by Health Minister Danny Naveh, who
adopted the recommendations of a public committee set up to
address the issue. Headed by Prof Avraham Steinberg the
committee has been considering the matter for an extended
period.
Naveh said the law would only apply in cases where treating
physicians determine that the patient has a life expectancy
of no more than six months.
The law also contains procedures for verifying the patient's
wishes and the means through which the family members would
express their wishes regarding the patient.
