Suspended between life and death

BBC ^ | 9/13/2014 | Claudia Hammond

[darrellmaurina]

When Ariel Sharon died in January this year, eight years after a stroke, he'd survived for longer than would probably be expected had he lived elsewhere in the world. Since 2005 it's been illegal in Israel to turn off ventilators when a person is dying or has no hope of recovery. The result is that large numbers of patients spend years on life support, many of them unconscious... In most countries a ward like this would not exist, and doctors and families in discussion together, might have made the decision to turn off Schmail's ventilator to allow him to die. But since 2005 this has been illegal in Israel and is considered to be killing the patient, even if they are already dying. The law in Israel was informed by Jewish tradition, but talking to families of other faiths in the hospital here, it seems to have become a cultural viewpoint too.

[GraceG]

ALmost seems like an indirect hit piece on keeping people alive...

[darrellmaurina]

Please ping this out to the Moral Absolutes list. I’m not going to pretend to understand the details of modern Jewish ethics, but given the history of euthanasia and its association with Nazis, I’m pleased to see that Israel, not only observant Jews but the broader culture, seems to have rejected a “culture of death” approach which is far too common in the West.

[Alberta's Child]

The law in Israel was informed by Jewish tradition, but talking to families of other faiths in the hospital here, it seems to have become a cultural viewpoint too.

I can respect any country with laws like this, but I'm curious to know how Jewish tradition "informed" this particular law. Ventilators are a modern medical device, and surely there would have to be some serious discussions in any religious circles about applications of ancient traditions in modern medicine.

[darrellmaurina]

I don't claim to be any sort of expert on modern Jewish ethics, but I'm pleased by what I read here. Perhaps some of our Jewish Freepers could comment on this, explaining more about how Israel developed what — at least on the surface — appears to be a much better approach than most modern Western societies to end-of-life issues.

It would not surprise me if an Orthodox Jewish hospital has a pro-life stance. What particularly impresses me is that this article indicates the medical culture in Israel, not just among observant Orthodox Jews but the broader culture as well, opposes euthanasia.

But I've been reading long enough to know that superficial readings may be very wrong. I'm prepared to believe that I've misunderstood the article or that the reporter has either misunderstood or oversimplified important details.

[GeronL]

But abortions are free and everywhere in Israel.

does that make sense?

[darrellmaurina]

GeronL wrote: “But abortions are free and everywhere in Israel. does that make sense?”

No. But if an entire national medical culture has decided against killing elderly people, at least that's a step in the right direction.

That's part of why I'd like to hear more on this from Jewish Freepers. I'm guessing there are nuances of Jewish ethics at play which I do not understand.

[GeronL]

good question

[plain talk]

I’m glad I don’t live in Israel. People and their families should not be forced to keep people with no hope of recovery tethered to machines forever. I vehemently oppose this. My spouse and I have living wills to ensure this doesn’t happen to us.

[familyop]

Israel’s business is not the U.K.’s business. The U.K. doesn’t even like Israel.

[wagglebee]

Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

[trisham]

Good point.

[trisham]

"Hammond is the author of a book on the science of emotions entitled Emotional Rollercoaster, published in 2005. Reviews were positive, with one saying that although it contained 'rare errors' these mistakes are 'vastly outweighed by the wealth of fascinating observations', and that 'humour, sensitivity and warmth... emanate from every page'.

She published her second book, Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception, with Canongate Books in May 2012. The Financial Times calls it a fascinating and at times mind-boggling book that will change the way you think about time."

Source: Wikipedia

[metmom]

I am by no means supporting euthanasia, but if the body is being kept alive with machines, how does one determine whether or not death has occurred?

If the person is on life support, at what point does the person die and how long can a body be kept alive that way?

[Albion Wilde]

if an entire national medical culture has decided against killing elderly people, at least that's a step in the right direction. That's part of why I'd like to hear more on this from Jewish Freepers. I'm guessing there are nuances of Jewish ethics at play which I do not understand.

Many Jews are in this nation since the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s. It's like asking John McCain about legal nuances in Scotland. American Jews are a small portion of our populace, but they are not monolithic, not foreigners, and not necessarily any more knowledgeable about the laws of the modern state of Israel than any of the rest of us with a computer and internet access.

[Albion Wilde]

Awesome post. See my post just above.

[darrellmaurina]

16 posted on 9/30/2014 12:08:34 PM by Albion Wilde: “Many Jews are in this nation since the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s. It’s like asking John McCain about legal nuances in Scotland. American Jews are a small portion of our populace, but they are not monolithic, not foreigners, and not necessarily any more knowledgeable about the laws of the modern state of Israel than any of the rest of us with a computer and internet access.”

We concur. Certainly the mere fact that a person is Jewish does not make them an expert on Israeli secular legal practices.

An observant Jewish person, however, such as Yehuda and a number of other Jewish Freepers, can be expected to be familiar with religious principles which were cited.