As we have reported, the Supreme Court might be poised to overturn the “constitutionally protected right” to abortion ensured by the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision. This would be great news to all God fearing people.
The Agudath Israel, thinks this not something we should celebrate. An email sent by Attorney Abba Cohen, the Washington DC director of the Agudah says:
“While Agudath Israel is closely monitoring this important — if irregular — development, the Jewish perspective on abortion is nuanced, Thus, we would have to review the precise nuances of the final decision itself — how, for example, it treats abortion rights when the ‘mother’s life or health is endangered,’ or when the ‘mother’s sincerely-held religious beliefs allow or require’ her to seek an abortion – We would also have to carefully examine state statutes and prospective legislation on these matters. Only then can we responsibly determine the true impact of the Dobbs decision and future steps we might deem necessary.”
Yosef Rapaport, former Hamodia reporter and media relations coordinator for Agudath Israel supports keeping abortion legal. Rapaport tweeted:
The JNS Reported on Agudath Israel’s position on the Texas abortion law:
Agudath Israel of America, an organization that advocates for the ultra-Orthodox
communities in the United States, said it also opposed the bill.
“Agudath Israel opposes any abortion law that would restrict an American’s right to act in
accordance with her religious beliefs. And the Texas law would seem to do that,” Rabbi Avi
Shafran, director of public affairs for Agudath Israel, wrote in an email on Sept. 2.
What a revision of history. Agudah was founded not to give or get money from the give it was a movement to unite orthodoxy against the Reform and haskkalah at the time. How ironic that getting money from the government became the crown jewel of Agudah while they gave money to the WZO Ukraine fund.
Important to say almost every single reform rabbi will say that an abortion for any reason the mother wants is the Jewish position, and thus agudahs position since the late 80s that all abortion laws must have a religious exemption will render all anti abortion laws mute. Agudah has lobbied in the past decade in ohio against an abortion restriction law with this specific claim, they have to oppose it because it doesn’t have a religious exemption.
The abortion in Jewish law is much more nuanced than the way Christians usually treat it, thus skip that and start. Mr Cohen says not one word on.
The international effect will be that people all over the world will continue to see America as a Bible-thumping ignorant country, who believes in using fake gods to force religion down people’s throats, all the while bellowing about freedom.
When the history books write about the decline of the country called America, this date will feature as a turning point. After millions of people were willing to vote for a candidate who proudly doesn’t care for experts, research or facts, they continued to push their country down the garden path.
I don’t know who the next superpower will be, perhaps it will be someone who treats the Yidden worse than America does. But America’s days are numbered.
[…] As we have reported last Friday morning, for many years the Agudah maintained a neutral position on this grave matter. Avi Shafran strongly opposed the Texas anti abortion bill. Friday afternoon the Agudah publicly reversed it’s position. […]
About time