Agudath Israel expresses its profound disappointment at Governor Hochul’s announcement today of her intention to sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which would legalize physician assisted suicide in New York.
For over a decade, Agudath Israel has been a leader in opposing physician assisted suicide. That opposition remains today. We have had dozens of meeting with legislators, presented public testimony, made personal pleas to the governor, and circulated many action alerts which generated thousands of emails and phone calls. Our longtime opposition, and that of our coalition partners, has surely deferred this day. This law reflects, sadly, societal shifts on the value of life.
This past July, in a letter to the governor, we wrote that the legislation would represent a paradigm shift in how New York treats life and its most vulnerable citizens. It raises a host of deep moral, medical and religious concerns.
While we appreciate the proposed amendments to the new bill that would add additional safeguards against abuse of the newly created right to assisted suicide (in addition to the two clauses added last year a) to allow medical practitioners to decline participation without fear of sanctions, and b) to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for end of life treatment), our opposition to the bill remains steadfast.
Physician assisted suicide crosses a moral line that has long been sacrosanct. It no longer is. This is a dark day.