JEWISH LAW DOES NOT RULE OUT HUMAN CLONING, RABBI SAYS

January 20, 1998

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Jewish law does not rule out human cloning, a rabbi told lawmakers Tuesday as Israel began tackling the controversial issue that has prompted calls for a ban by President Clinton and Christian leaders.

"Unlike the formal Christian position, Judaism maintains that cloning might be allowed, under strict supervision," Rabbi Mordechai Halprin told parliament's Science Committee, testifying on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate.

The worldwide debate over cloning intensified after Scottish scientists announced last February that they had cloned a sheep named Dolly. Earlier this month, American physicist Richard Seed said he was determined to clone a child within 18 months — a plan Clinton has denounced.

The Vatican has called for a ban on cloning humans, and Pope John Paul II denounced "dangerous experiments" that harm human dignity.

"Everyone in the world is worried about cloning," said Israeli legislator Hagai Merom, who has begun drafting a bill that includes guidelines for cloning research in Israel.

"We are not fundamentalists interested in stopping scientific research, but we are frightened. It is precisely because we don't understand the threats that we need to make sure we monitor what goes on," Merom, a member of the opposition Labor Party, told the Science Committee.

After hearing from scientists and religious leaders, the panel decided to hold more meetings before drafting legislation.

Giving scientists a "blank check" to carry out cloning research could lead to tragic results, said Avner Shaki, a member of the National Religious Party.

Jewish law permits genetic research and animal cloning, said Halprin, who is also a physician and heads a Jerusalem institute studying the application of Jewish law to medical research.

Halprin said human cloning would require rabbis to grapple with new issues, but the process itself is not automatically rejected.

"The problems which could arise from cloning are social ones and mostly having to do with family law, but these are issues that can be resolved," he said.