Israelis Turn to West Bank Clinic To Dodge Ban on Choosing a Child's Sex

Sex selection in the Jewish state is possible through pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and in vitro fertilisation. But patients need to prove they either have a solid medical reason to do so or that they already have four children of the same sex.

Israel has one of the highest average fertility rates in the world and having children is cherished by society. Those who struggle to conceive naturally are often encouraged to resort to artificial means, including in vitro fertilisation which the Jewish state offers free of charge to Israeli citizens below the age of 45. This most likely explains why the country has the highest rate of IVF per capita internationally.

However, there's a caveat: parents are not allowed to choose their baby's sex unless they have sound medical reasons to do so or if - possibly mindful of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof who occasionally regrets that all five of his children are daughters - parents already have four children of the same sex.

Easing Regulations

This has served as a tremendous opportunity for the Dima Centre in the West Bank city of Nablus where this restriction does not apply. The clinic's director, Amani Marmash, says her medical establishment - now boasting tens of doctors and nurses -- is booming with clients.

"Some 50 percent of our clients are Palestinians from the West Bank. The remaining amount are Arab Israelis, who come here because they want to choose the sex of their children."

The Dima Centre opened its doors 15 years ago and provides consultation services to about 120 women per week. Actual treatments are given to 20 to 30 clients a month, and each pays up to 15,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $4,500) to undergo IVF. Sex selection adds an extra layer of fees to the already high costs.

For many Palestinians, for whom the average salary is $1,710, these are unthinkable prices but in a society that has traditionally preferred boys to girls, possibly because of their greater contribution to the workforce and continuation of the family line, some are prepared to find the cash, seeing it as a future investment.

Chances of Success

Marmash claims there is a 99 percent chance that couples who come to her clinic will get the desired sex of their future child. She also acknowledges that the IVF treatments are likely to work in up to 35 percent of cases which means that couples who want to conceive a baby boy will need to be ready for a long-term process.

"We are relying on advanced medical technologies to achieve our goals," Marmash, who was educated in the West, says.

"We also customise the treatment to each patient, researching the couple's health history and coming up with solutions. But one must bear in mind that sometimes things might just not work".

That worry, however, has not deterred the clinic's patients, and Marmash is certain Palestinian and Israeli Arab couples will keep on coming. For Jewish patients, her establishment is still not an option - primarily because Nablus is considered dangerous for Israelis - but the director says she is open to all clients, regardless of their origin or religion.

"If Jewish people decide to come to my clinic, I will help them too. I am dealing with clients as humans. Their religion does not concern me".