AJWS President and CEO Robert Bank on the Leaked SCOTUS Roe v. Wade Draft Decision

Leader of global Jewish human rights organization decries the draft decision which signals that the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark abortion rights law

“Though the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is not final, we are deeply disturbed by the national and global implications of this potential Supreme Court ruling. Not only would criminalizing abortion disproportionately impact marginalized communities in this nation, but it would undermine U.S. efforts to support human rights and global health programming across the globe.

Reproductive rights are human rights. And as a human rights organization rooted in Jewish values, we at American Jewish World Service cannot remain silent in the face of such a blatant attack on women’s rights, human rights, gender equity, bodily autonomy, and religious freedom.

In the narrative surrounding abortion and religious freedom in the U.S., we must remember that not all faiths are anti-choice. Jewish tradition—even dating back to Talmudic law— views the life and rights of the pregnant person as paramount. In keeping with those values, AJWS will continue the fight to ensure that every person around the globe has the right to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures.” 

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