Motherhood, Mental Incompetence, and the Denial of Reproductive Autonomy in the Early Years of Israeli Statehood.

This article examines the legal, medical, and social challenges faced by cognitively disabled individuals in early Israeli statehood, focusing on a 1954 court case involving Katia Ben Avraham, a cognitively disabled woman recommended for sterilization due to neglect of her children. It situates this case within broader debates on disability rights, sterilization, and citizenship in Israel during the 1950s, highlighting tensions between emerging welfare policies, eugenic discourses, and the legacy of Nazi atrocities. The article reveals how Israeli law lacked explicit protections for the cognitively disabled, allowing medical and judicial authorities to override reproductive autonomy under paternalistic and ableist assumptions, while public backlash and religious opposition ultimately prevented formal legalization of sterilization. This case and its aftermath illustrate the complexities of defining citizenship and rights for disabled persons in a nascent state grappling with demographic pressures, ethical dilemmas, and social inclusion.