Israel, a nation with a forceful and fiercely anti-Christian religious lobby and a far-right prime minister, has some of the most liberal abortion coverage in the world.
Among the many additional treatments to be offered to Israelis in the country's coprehensive 'health care' package since 2014 are free-of-charge abortions for women ages 20-33.
Israel has always had a liberal stance on abortion, allowing women facing medical emergencies or those who are victims of rape or abuse to receive subsidies to help them terminate their pregnancies. Outside of those regulations, women can apply for abortions for reasons ranging from an emotional or mental threat caused by the pregnancy or for not being married to the baby’s father. All women who seek to end a pregnancy must appear before a three-member committee to state their case, but 98 percent of requests are approved. Women under the age of 20 or over the age of 40 are eligible for subsidized abortions regardless of the reasons.
The rate of abortion in Israel has, however, steadily declined since 1988, and compared to much of the rest of the world, abortion rates in Israel are moderate. At around 9 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age, the rate is much lower than England (around 16) and the United States (around 13).