title: The practical, moral, and ethical considerations of the new Israeli law for the allocation of donor organs.
abstract: There is a worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation; the number of patients on the waiting list exceeds the supply of available organs. The demand for organ donation is particularly concerning in Israel. A new Israeli law has been instituted to give those who sign donor cards allocation priority if they are ever in need of an organ transplant themselves. A number of variations on this paradigm that considers the willingness of patients to donate their own organs have since been proposed; however, the new Israeli policy for organ donation is the first time such a law has been implemented nationally. Prioritization of organ allocation to donors comes with a significant moral and ethical debate, and since its implementation in January 2010 there has been much controversy surrounding the new policy. This article provides a description of the new Israeli plan, specifically focusing on the practical, moral, and ethical debates surrounding the new system.
authors.affiliation: Jakobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Gruenbaum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jotkowitz
mesh_terms: D004989:Ethics; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D009014:Morals; D016377:Organ Transplantation