Hospital pulls ad showing fetus as IDF soldier, amid criticism

Tel Aviv’s Ichilov medical center apologizes for ‘inconvenience’ caused by advertisement for its maternity ward in right-wing weekly paper

A Tel Aviv hospital halted further publications of an advertisement for its maternity ward that featured a fetus dressed as an Israeli soldier, in light of complaints it received last week.

Last Friday, Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital took out a full-page advertisement in the right-wing weekly Makor Rishon newspaper to encourage women to give birth in its Lis maternity ward.

The ad showed the fetus, in utero, wearing an IDF Armored Corps beret and saluting. The caption read, “Presidential Award of Excellence Recipient for the year 2038. (Apparently born in Lis.)”

The advertisement was quickly condemned online, with critics saying it promoted militarism.

“The hospital is attentive to the sensitivities of the public, and following complaints we immediately ordered the advertising agency to remove the ad,” an Ichilov spokesperson said.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this one-time publication,” the spokesperson said.

The Presidential Award of Excellence — in Hebrew, Ot Mitztayen Hanasi — is given to 120 soldiers or young officers each year on Independence Day.

According to IDF protocol, it is awarded to active-duty soldiers who “display excellence in carrying out their duty and exemplary behavior,” “set a personal example for the other soldiers in their unit,” and “conduct their duty above and beyond what is demanded of them.”

However, it was a somewhat odd honor for the hospital to choose for the fictional baby in the advertisement, as the committee that chooses the award’s recipients is generally seen as having an unofficial preference for soldiers who meet the above conditions while overcoming personal hardship.

For instance, so-called “lone soldiers,” who serve in the army without the support of parents living in Israel, receive the Presidential Award of Excellence at a significantly higher rate than other troops.

Soldiers with physical disabilities or those who come from difficult socioeconomic backgrounds are also more likely to receive the award.