Israel Gripped by Battle Over Baby Boy

[CShine]

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's attention has been gripped by a legal tug-of-war over a baby boy - likened by a newsaper to a quandary worthy of a King Solomon. Everyone from rabbis and entertainers to ordinary people weighed in Sunday on whether the 13-month-old should stay with his adoptive parents or be returned to his biological mother, who wants him back.

A newspaper commissioned an opinion poll. A rabbi noted that Jewish law gives preference to the biological parents. Others brought King Solomon into the mix. As told in the Book of Kings, Solomon suggested a baby be cut in half to satisfy claims by two women, both of whom insisted the infant was hers. When one woman insisted he be spared, the king awarded her custody because she showed she truly loved the infant.

"Solomonic Decision 2004," read a headline in the Yediot Ahronot daily.

The biological mother has said she only realized in her eighth month that she was pregnant and at the time was separated from the child's father. She gave up the child for adoption, but changed her mind when the boy was 3 months old. A Tel Aviv court is considering the case. All participants have remained anonymous to protect the child.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBX3KA5GVD.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JohnLocke]

3. What the fuck are you talking about?

[bemildred]

4. Circumcision would be my guess. nt

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. I was circumsized

It wasn't mutilation. You nip the tip, as Mel Brooks once said.

Personally, I think it looks better this way.

[Cronus Protagonist]

7. Do you think women look better with their clitoris circumcised too?

Just wondering. Here's some well researched information for others who don't hold your point of view.

http://www.nocirc.org

[JohnLocke]

8. Male circumcision is different than female genital mutilation.

Any attempts at equating the two are misguided.

[PylesMalfunction]

9. Give me a break!

If I have a son, I won't get him circumcised. Having said that, trying to equate it with female circumcision is such bullshit. The equivalent of female circumcision would be like cutting the entire penis off. So please get off your biased high horse. :eyes: Trying to say that it's similar to female circumcision is a slap in the face to any woman who's had to undergo this horrible procedure!!!


Edit - the least invasive form of female circumcision would be like cutting the entire penis off. I'm not even going to try to equate a male version of having all of your external sex organs cut off and then being sewn shut.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Those sort of cases are always sad...

The baby's 13 months old now and the family's bonded. After reading a report in Maariv, even though Israeli law is probably on her side, I don't have a lot of sympathy for the biological mother, who doesn't really seem to be thinking of the best interests of the baby...

http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=8422

She seems to not want the baby when the father's not in the picture, then want him back when the father's around. Also, how does someone not know they're pregnant that late in a pregnancy?


Violet...

[Scurrilous]

6. Surprising twist in "Baby X" case

http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=8550

<snip>

Biological mother is Christian, adoptive mother is Jewish; By law, child must be adopted by parents of same religion

"A surprising revelation in the "Baby X" case: This evening it was discovered that the baby's biological mother is Christian, while the child's adoptive parents are Jewish. By law, a baby cannot be adopted by parents of a different religion.

Yesterday in court, privileged information regarding the adopting family was revealed. "Our estimate is that in light of the new information, the adoptive parents will withdraw their appeal", said the lawyer representing the biological parents.

However, the adopting family said that it will continue the fight to leave the baby in its custody. Their lawyers even announced they intend to release the privileged information in the coming days."