Abortion, #FreePalestine & Hannah Einbinder

Shalom, Hannah.

Your recent instagram post was upsetting for multiple reasons. My name is Hallel, and I’m a liberal Zionist activist. I had a safe, legal abortion here in Israel two months ago. So yeah, we’re going to get into it—quickly and unapologetically.

Because lately, I’ve seen something deeply concerning: the way abortion rights are being linked with slogans like “Free Palestine” on protest signs, clinic doors, and Instagram carousels. At first glance, it might seem progressive, intersectional, or even brave to the average scroller. But let me be clear—it’s not just confusing. It’s harmful.

Abortion Clinics Should Be Safe Spaces—Not Political Battlegrounds

Abortion access is a human right. It’s a critical part of healthcare that must be safe, legal, and accessible to *everyone*. Clinics should be sanctuaries—places where women can make decisions about their bodies without fear, shame, or politicization.

When you slap “Free Palestine” on the front of an abortion clinic, you’re not making that space more inclusive. You’re making it political. And politics—especially when they carry deeply divisive or weaponized rhetoric—have no place in a space meant to prioritize safety and bodily autonomy for all.

Because here’s the truth: Muslim women, Jewish women, Israeli women, Palestinian women, women of every identity and belief system—*all women*—need access to reproductive care. And when you politicize that access, you alienate some of the very people you claim to fight for.

Let’s Talk About the Facts

Here in Israel, abortion is legal. It’s safe. It’s accessible. There are committees, yes, but nearly all requests are approved. I’m living proof of that. I had access to the care I needed without shame or obstruction.

Under the Palestinian Authority? Under Hamas? That care doesn’t exist. Abortion is heavily restricted, if not outright illegal. There are no exceptions for rape. None for incest. None for fetal abnormalities. There’s almost no medical infrastructure, no systemic support. Women often resort to unsafe procedures—if they’re even able to find any option at all.

So when I see slogans like “Fund Abortion, Not War” or activists in red triangle t-shirts claiming solidarity with oppressed women by pushing a false narrative that erases the real conditions on the ground, it’s not just annoying. It’s dangerous.

That’s not solidarity.

That’s not activism.

It’s slacktivism.

It’s Western, Instagrammable, out-of-touch, and self-serving.

My Jewish Values Are Pro-Choice

Judaism is clear: the life and health of the woman come first. Jewish law doesn’t just allow for abortion—it mandates it when the mother’s life is at risk. And in a world where women’s rights are constantly under siege, that clarity matters.

I’m proud to say I accessed safe abortion care in the Jewish state. And I’m horrified that, during the same month, women across the United States were being denied that same right. That girls were bleeding out in hospital waiting rooms because doctors were too afraid to treat them. That people were watching their daughters suffer because saving them could cost a physician their license.

So if you really care about reproductive rights—about autonomy, about equity—then I ask you to pause. Reflect. And stop using abortion access as a backdrop for your unrelated political agenda.

Because no woman should feel unsafe walking into a clinic.

Not because of protesters on the right screaming Bible verses—and not because of performative allies on the left projecting slogans that erase or distort complex realities.

If you want to support women’s rights? Start by making clinics safe again—for *everyone*. That includes Jews.

And as for the rest of your gimmicks?

The tees. The slogans.

The lazy performance.

You can keep them.

They’re not helping anyone.