With a brother tucked up at Jerusalem's Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital, enjoying the best that modern medicine can offer, you may wonder slack-jawed at my chutzpa.
How dare I question the provenance of the drugs which helped to save Julian's life following his horrific traffic injuries or by what means he's been given a chance to enjoy a long and productive life?
Well, I do dare! Not only is the issue of using animals to test the efficacy of new drugs for humans a major concern in Britain, it is of equal importance in Israel where the Chai Online animal welfare website claims:
"While the Animal Protection Law at least attempts to promote animal welfare, the Animal Experimentation Law appears mainly to protect the interests of the bio-medical industry in Israel. Indeed, the aim of the Law from its inception was to regulate, not restrict, animal experimentation".
Although Israeli law effectively allows individual research institutes to authorise animal experimentation at will and without public accountability, Israel's National Council for Animal Experimentation may prohibit animal use where a "reasonable alternative" exists.
However, most council members are either representatives of the very universities and drug companies conducting animal research or of government agencies heavily involved in the practice, such as the Ministries of Health and Science.
Indeed, the Council employs only one part-time veterinarian to inspect all research animal facilities throughout Israel.
To date, claims Chai, "the Council has not approved a single alternative to animal use". Shame on them as their action - or lack of it - in part runs contrary to Jewish law and traditional Jewish values.
While Jewish law maintains that saving human life is paramount, the principle of tzaar ba-alei hayyim is supposed to prevent causing animals unnecessary pain and should therefore stop their being used to test non-essentials like cosmetics and cleaning materials.
I would like to suggest that as there is a large "Anglo" community in Israel (citizens who originate from English-speaking countries) that Chai considers working in tandem with the U.K.'s Safer Medicines Campaign which has the support of many prominent people, including Members of Parliament.
Kathy Archibald, director of the Safer Medicines Campaign was interviewed live last week on British TV's The Politics Show. The studio discussion focused on testing the safety of medicines.
The video above is a short clip about the SMC's work and philosophy. Be warned - although there are no animal images - it does not make comfortable viewing!
But for now I'll sign off by repeating what a cross-party group of British MPs was told in July this year at the launch of the Safety of Medicines Bill:
"A million Britons are hospitalised by medicines every year, costing the NHS £2 billion. We believe 21st century science can do better"...
"There is strong evidence that human biology-based technologies may offer significant improvements in safety as well as large reductions in cost and time. The comparison of safety testing methods proposed by the Bill is unprecedented and could benefit the NHS and patients dramatically. "
See more at:http://www.safermedicines.org/safetyofmedicines/bill.shtml)
msniw
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