Fun in the Holy Land

Iranian Jews to Israel: Stop scaring us.

Kind of reminds me of this incident a few years ago. Of course, Israel also wasn't threatening to nuke the Eiffel Tower.


Also, this seems kind of creepy.

A court approved two parents' request Monday to use the sperm of their son, who was killed four years ago, in order to bring a grandchild to the world with a woman who wasn't his partner.

The couple's son was killed during his army service after being shot to death by a Palestinian sniper.

The parents – by way of the advocacy organization "New Family" – turned to the court two years ago with a request to use their son's sperm to produce a child from their dead son. They claimed before the court that their son on many occasions throughout his life expressed his desire to have children, and they felt that they must fulfill his will. The family had already turned to the media in the past to tell their story in hopes to put the process in motion. Following the media coverage, they were contacted by more than 40 women who agreed to carry the child for them.

The family wrote in its petition that it would have been the wish of their dead son to use his sperm to impregnate the woman and said that it was their right as potential grandparents to carry out the insemination. They promised that they would keep to their role as grandparents and would not interfere in the life of the child.

The request was approved despite a ruling made three years ago, according to which the parents of the dead have no standing rights in these sorts of issues.

This is the first time a court has approved the use of a deceased man's sperm for the insemination of a woman he had never met. This is also the first time the court has approved a sperm donation in which the donor and the recipient did not know each other, yet the donor's identity was not concealed.

This falls into the category of "shouldn't be illegal, but..." I don't know, maybe it's just the picture of legions of wanna-be Jewish grandmothers trying to use this to get the darling grandkids they've always dreamed of. Letting a partner use it is fine, but soliciting volunteers? (Anyone else picturing an Apprentice spin-off?) doesn't sit well with me.