High Court strikes down petition to end sperm donor anonymity

The High Court of Justice struck down a petition seeking to allow children conceived through sperm donation to learn their biological father's identity, keeping the current anonymous-only system. The petition was filed by Choosing Family and B'Tzalmo, which argued the anonymity provision violates children's rights. The court can leave the system as is or allow two tracks, requiring legislative changes. The ruling maintains donor anonymity under current regulations, with potential for future legislative adjustments.

The High Court of Justice has struck down a petition seeking to allow children conceived through sperm donation to learn the identity of their biological father, leaving in place the rule that keeps donors anonymous. The issue was raised in a High Court petition by the organizations Choosing Family and B'Tzalmo, which oppose anonymous donation. The petitioners argued that the provision guaranteeing donor anonymity violates children's right to know who their biological parents are. Israel currently permits only anonymous sperm donation. Under the Public Health Regulations, disclosing identifying donor details is prohibited. A woman who wants to conceive with a man she knows must present a parenting agreement that overrides any other arrangement. The court can either leave the current anonymous-only system in place or allow two parallel tracks, anonymous and non-anonymous; adopting its recommendations would require changes to existing legislation. Last year, the Justice Ministry published regulations for a database registering egg donations that will also record whether the mother was fertilized with a sperm donation, in which case the donor's code will be registered. The move followed a petition filed five years earlier by Choosing Family and B'Tzalmo demanding a registry to prevent marriages between relatives.