GARDENS OF LIFE, Israel – Abortion opponents have organized the country's first national pro-life prayer effort at locations such as Gardens of Life near Jerusalem.
They recognize their fight is an uphill battle in largely pro-choice Israel.
Sandy Shoshani's organization, Be'ad Chaim (Pro-Life Israel) has saved an estimated 5,000 babies from abortion over the last couple of decades. It's an ongoing effort because of the ease in obtaining the procedure here.
Shoshani told CBN News, "The government pays for abortions. It's free through our national health insurance."
In addition to changing hearts, she wants Israelis to realize two things.
"The baby in the womb is a human being deserving of rights," she said. "Because right now, according to Israeli law, the baby is not a person until his head emerges from the womb. And number two, we want to say that women are hurt by abortion."
Shoshani added, "Many women suffer from more drinking, depression. Suicide rates go up. Abortion hurts women.”
She hopes to elevate the abortion issue to a level of debate in Israel that is comparable to the debate in America.
In the U.S., pro-family advocate Annabelle Wallnau, who spoke with us on a recent visit to Israel, tries to help impoverished women be able to afford having their own babies.
There's much more opportunity now, since the U.S Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, sending the decision back to the states.
"It was a big victory – a very big victory," Wallnau explained. "And in so many ways, a lot of people took courage, even who were young and pregnant, to have their baby. And yet, there's a big push towards having people discouraged into paying their way to other states to have those abortions. There's a strange attitude about the death of the child in your belly."
She believes that creates dissonance. "So, there's a huge distance – span – of people's appreciation of life," she stated.
That appreciation is growing in Israel. A major step forward came 13 years ago, at a place called the Gardens of Life.
There, at Latrun, (west of Jerusalem), women began planting trees to memorialize their aborted babies. Since then, the number of memorials has grown to more than 2,000.
That's why a major event of the prayer initiative happened here, as believers worshipped and prayed that abortion will become a rare event in the Jewish nation.
Shoshani is hopeful. "And I believe that as we call out to God and say, 'God, would You please save the babies, would You protect the babies? And would You restore the broken hearts of the Israelis who've had so many abortions?' We believe that God is going to answer and heal our nation," she said.
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