{"id":328676,"date":"2025-03-30T11:44:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T16:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=328676"},"modified":"2025-03-31T16:23:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T21:23:57","slug":"israel-health-ministry-discourages-down-syndrome-abortions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/israel-health-ministry-discourages-down-syndrome-abortions\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel Health Ministry campaign discourages aborting babies with Down syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Israel launched a campaign on World Down Syndrome Day \u2014 held annually on March 21st \u2014 to encourage its citizens to embrace people with Down syndrome and discourage<\/em> them from aborting these children. But some have objected to the campaign.<\/p>\n

Haaretz reporter Ido Efrati responded<\/a> with an op-ed saying that while the video, posted on social media, was meant to end stigma against Down syndrome, it will instead promote “high risk” pregnancies. This is an odd statement to make, as carrying a child with Down syndrome does not pose any additional risk to the mother; prenatal treatment will continue as usual, with any extra monitoring focused solely on the baby.<\/p>\n

The campaign video features a woman named Avia Amsallem and her son, Ari.<\/p>\n

“Did you consider having an abortion? Is it hard for you that he’s not like other children? Meet Ari \u2013 he has a ‘sweetdrome,'” she says in the video. It continues:<\/p>\n

In my language, Down syndrome just means an extra chromosome \u2014 extra love, extra charm, extra joy for life. People think it’s pure darkness, some kind of terrible news \u2013 but it’s not. Having this child at home is the happiest, most wonderful thing I have. Is it a burden? No. On the contrary \u2013 it’s made life easier. It’s made being happy easier. I’ve gained perspective. Since he came into our lives, we’ve been extra happy, extra joyful.<\/em><\/p>\n

She further argued that negative perspectives of Down syndrome should be changed.<\/p>\n

“Let’s give it a chance. It’s just an extra chromosome \u2013 an extra dose of love and generosity, along with some other extras that can be challenging,” she said, later concluding:<\/p>\n

I choose to face the hardship, to take it in both arms, to live it, to find joy in it, to focus on what I have. There are so many stigmas about Down syndrome \u2013 ‘They don’t live long,’ ‘They don’t talk’ \u2013 a million things I hear almost daily from strangers… I just wish we could change the stigma and the outdated ideas.<\/em><\/p>\n

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A post shared by \u05de\u05e9\u05e8\u05d3 \u05d4\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea (@health.gov.il)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n