Medical Association states support for LGBTQ adoption as Supreme Court hears case

The Israeli Medical Association releases a position paper supporting the rights of same-sex couples to adopt as the Supreme Court discussed a petition to overturn discrimination within the Adoption Law.

The organization bases its argument on overwhelming amounts of academic and clinical research indicating that the placement of a child in a loving and supporting home regardless of the sexual orientation of the parents is in the best interests of the child.

Current Israeli policy allows only same-sex couples to adopt children for whom no heterosexual married couple can be found. Also, same-sex couples are made to wait longer to adopt and must legally adopt as individuals and not as a couple.

The petition to the court was filed in July 2017 by the Association of Israeli Gay Fathers, together with the Israel Religious Action Center of the Reform movement, against the Social Affairs Ministry and the attorney general.

Following deliberations, the state promised to amend the law. Six years later, the Knesset has still not taken any legislative action to eliminate the discrimination and the court may decide to intervene and take a more interpretive stance.

According to the IMA, there is 40 years’ worth of research on LGBTQ adoption and the leading American organizations dealing with child and adolescent physical and mental health have all taken position in favor of same-sex couple adoption since the early 2000s.

The IMA states that “as professionals, we call on the Justice Ministry and Welfare Ministry to adopt the majority opinion among professionals in Israel and around the world that LGBTQ individuals are qualified to adopt children just like heterosexuals.”

“The discrimination based on sexual orientation in this matter must end,” it says.