Following reports that Israel’s blood reserves are dangerously low, the representatives of 45 Dati Leumi yeshivahs offered to donate 4,000 units of blood as long as Magen David Adom restored the blood donation forms back to their original version with “mother” and “father.” However, the organization has refused to do so, and furthermore, the Health Ministry, headed by Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz, who himself is part of the LGBTQ community, is refusing to intervene.

Rav Udi Harel of Yeshivas Mitzpe Ramon and Dvir Saltzman, who is in charge of the yeshivah’s blood donations, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Naftali Benett asking him to intervene in the matter, writing that “despite our strong will to resume donating blood, and despite the fact that we tried holding discussions with them, the Health Ministry and MDA refuse to climb down from the tree they climbed on. They refuse to restore the previous forms or issue special forms with father and mother on them, and are trying to force a progressive agenda on us of erasing the identity of father and mother.”

“In light of the fact that the minister is acting as an independent prime minister within your government, we demand that you, the Prime Minister, put the minister in his place, restore the original blood donation forms and allow thousands of blood donors to donate without being forced to submit to LGBTQ dictates. The blood shortage is the responsibility of the Health Minister and your government, which is preventing us from donating blood and saving lives.”

Salzman told Arutz Sheva: “We are shocked by MDA’s repeated refusal – in the face of thousands of yeshiva students who are willing to happily donate blood – all they have to do is restore the forms with mother and father. The irresponsibility of the Health Minister arouses great sorrow that a person who heads the health system of the State of Israel is busy with the advancement of agendas rather than health. We call on the Prime Minister and health system officials to take responsibility and allow us to donate blood without sacrificing our values.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)