Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (New Right) on Tuesday explained her party's platform on LGBTQ surrogacy.
"We have agreed to go according to the conclusions drawn by the Mor Yosef Committee, which examined all the aspects of surrogacy in depth and includes several experts," she told Kan Bet. "The Committee decided that commercial surrogacy will be available to women as an alternative to the womb, since it aims to solve a medical problem."
"Surrogacy for LGBTQ individuals will be possible, but in an altruistic fashion. Meaning, if a couple has a friend who wants to do them a personal favor, that will be allowed. And that's our stance."
Surrogacy in Israel is currently legal only when a woman cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy for medical reasons. Surrogates must meet a list of personal, physical, and mental requirements. Payment is always the same sum, and altruistic surrogacy is not allowed, in order to avoid pressure from family and friends to do someone else a "favor."
Approximately half of Israeli would-be surrogates do not complete the process. Most surrogates cite the financial aspect as their primary motive.
In July, the law expanded the list of intended parents to include infertile single women in addition to infertile heterosexual couples.
The number of eligible surrogates is much lower than the number of couples waiting for a surrogate, and as a result the waiting list is several years long and many couples are forced to turn to surrogacy abroad.