Israel has not determined the regulatory status of gene editing in animals.
There is no commercial production of GE animals in Israel.
Products/Research
- Female-only mice: Tel Aviv University researchers used CRISPR in 2019 to develop a system in mice that produces more female offspring than males. The goal is to use the system in farm animals to avoid the needless slaughter of male farm animals that are less valuable to farmers.
- Fly research: Weizmann Institute of Science researchers used CRISPR in 2019 to develop more efficient ways to study the nervous system in flies.
- Mice research: Weizmann Institute of Science researchers used CRISPR in 2018 to develop a new way to study genetics in mice, an important model system for understanding human genetics.
Regulatory Timeline
2011: Israeli parliament’s Science and Technology Committee chair calls for de-stigmatizing genetically engineered agriculture products, calling concerns over the health risks of these products “unjustified.”
NGO Reaction
The Israeli Kashrut, a religious authority, has said that genetic modification does not impact “kosher” status because of the “microscopic” apportionment of the modified material. This is contested by some Jewish groups both inside and outside of Israel, who have claimed this is a violation of scriptural prohibitions against mixed breeding in crops.
Additional Resources
- Genetic Literacy Project’s FAQ on gene editing
- Library of Congress summary of Israel gene regulations includes detailed analysis of the country’s evolving biosafety laws and liabilities
- USDA Agricultural Biotechnology Annual: Israel