The Fluoride Action Network has received the following news from Shimon Tsuk, the Scientific Development Coordinator for the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED):

“The labor, welfare and health Knesset (Israeli Parliament) committee called on (6/21/06) the Ministry of Health to freeze the extension of the fluoridation of drinking water in Israel and to study the issue in depth in order to determine whether to continue with the project or to cancel it completely. Conclusions are to be expected within a year. Till then municipalities and Mekorot (Israel national water company) are not required to build new fluoride installations.

Thus the committee accepted the IUED (Israel Union for Environmental Defense – Adam Teva v’Din) position to stop the extension of fluoridation in drinking water until the issue is examined from all aspects – medical, environmental, ethical and legal.

Committee Chairman MK (Member of Knesset) Moshe Sharoni and MKs Ran Cohen and David Tal claimed during the investigation that the potential damage to public health and environment from fluoridation may be greater than the benefits from decreased dental cavities.

Representative Shimon Tsuk displayed before the committee a long list of scientific research (which the Ministry of Health chose to ignore for years) that point to the toxicity of fluoride when it is introduced into drinking water and about health problems, such as dental and bone fluorosis, kidney and thyroid malfunction and cancers, that occur especially in sensitive populations such as babies, kidney and cancer patients, and the elderly.

Shimon Tsuk has praised the committee for accepting this decision and stated that now the Ministry of Health will be compelled to examine all aspects of fluoridation on public health and the environment and especially to answer the ethical question – who allows them to compel the public at large to consume water containing dangerous chemicals.

“From our experience in Israel and the world when the fluoride issue is studied from all aspects it is rejected.”

Zeev Shafir and Dr. Mordechy Hochberg from “Action Against Water Fluoridation” claimed in the discussion that the Ministry of Health has ignored its petitions and is unwilling to appear before the public in order to explain why fluoridation is necessary and safe.”

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