Health Minister and Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz is expected to advance in the coming months a series of reforms to expand women's access to abortion while removing the invasive barriers that women seeking an abortion have had to deal with for decades, Ynet reported on Wednesday.
Since 1988, the Health Ministry has been operating according to a missive issued by the Deputy Medical Director instructing the members of abortion committees to do everything in their power to reduce what has been defined as "unnecessary abortions." In recent weeks, the Health Ministry has decided to end it.
Among these reforms include the removal of invasive questions that women have had to answer regarding their occupation or pregnancy background.
The Health Ministry is also expected to support legislation aimed at allowing any woman to terminate a pregnancy by the 12th week - without having to appear before a hospital abortion committee, which is required by law today.
"It should be taken for granted - the right to a woman's body belongs to the woman alone," said Horowitz. "Every decision, or medical procedure, such as the choice of whether to have an abortion, must be in the hands of the woman.
"We have no moral right to decide for her how to act with an unwanted pregnancy. The situation today is that women are forced to undergo degrading interviews. It's delusional."
Meretz MKs Michal Rosin and Gaby Lasky will lead the legislative procedure.
This abortion reform will reportedly be difficult to put into law, as Horowitz will have to persuade Ra'am and other right-wing parties for support.