Debating forced medical feeding: Israeli responses to hunger strikes. A seminar by Noam Zohar

Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 25 February
13:00 - 14:00

Location
C31, University of Otago, Wellington


In this talk, I will critically examine Israeli institutional responses to hunger strikes (mainly by
Palestinian prisoners). A crucial part of the background is the unique clause 15 of Israel’s Patient’s
Rights Act of 1996, which allows forced, life-saving treatment in the expectation of retroactive
consent. Recently, however, the government initiated legislation aimed to mandate forced feeding
for reasons that include not only concern for the hunger striker’s life, but also concern for state
security. The National Bioethics Council unanimously opposed this expansion of grounds for forced
treatment, though a minority within the Council endorsed placing hunger strikers in a separate
category from other patients. I will discuss the ethical and political values expressed in this debate,
as well as the dubious notion of retroactive consent.

Noam Zohar
Department of Philosophy, Bar Ilan University

Video linked:
To secure the booking for this seminar video link in Christchurch and Wellington, please
register your name, subject and date of seminar for attendance: Wellington School of Medicine
Room C31 Contact: Videoconferencing University of Otago Wellington
videoconf.uow[at]otago.ac.nz

Please note: if there is no registration (for northern campuses) by the Thursday prior to the
advertised seminar, the booking for that campus venue will be terminated.