=After US abortion ruling, Israeli minister slams Trump’s ‘dark, women-hating regime’==

Labor leader Merav Michaeli says if abortion rights can be taken away in US, it can happen anywhere; as only female party leader, urges people to vote for her in next election

Labor party leader Merav Michaeli said Friday that the US abortion ruling was a result “of a dark and women-hating regime appointing judges,” in reference to former US president Donald Trump, and warned that a similar loss of rights could happen in Israel.

“Did you believe that such a thing could happen? And more importantly — did you women believe that such a thing could happen? That one of the world’s great democracies is taking us back to the dark days when a woman had no rights over her body,” Michaeli wrote in a post on social media after the US Supreme Court on Friday stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion.

The court’s overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade court ruling is likely to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.

“Well, it’s happening. And it happens when women did not understand the meaning of Trump being in power. This is what it means. This is the result of a dark and misogynistic government appointing judges,” wrote Michaeli, who serves as transportation minister.

“It may seem to you that we have already achieved equality, and that women’s rights and human rights can never be taken away,” Michaeli went on. “Well, go there and see.

“And it’s not just the composition of the court. It’s who writes the rules, who distributes the resources. The judges overturned the ruling because the US Constitution does not mention a right to abortion. Guess what, the Constitution was written only by men, at a time when women still did not have the right to vote, be elected and write rules and constitutions.”

With Israel heading to elections, Michaeli used the opportunity to urge women to support her and her party.

“Today and here, too, women are still a minority among those who write and pass laws. We are still a minority in the government as well, and I am the only woman currently heading a party. We must not leave it like that. We must not remain in this inferior position,” she wrote. “We must not allow darkness, religious fanaticism and racism to take the place of our democratic values.”

Abortion is legal in Israel and funded by the government, although it is not easily accessible and women face a number of hurdles to access it.

“As the only woman to lead a political party in Israel, I know I will continue to fight my battles because I am not prepared for my country to change its face in the same way the US changed its face today,” Michaeli said. It is in our hands. It is time to join us to expel the darkness and create light.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-us-abortion-ruling-israeli-minister-warns-against-dark-women-hating-regime/